Red and green baubles, sparkling lights and colorful stockings, your home may be ablaze with decorations, but you may wonder if your fur baby is able to see and appreciate your festive adornments. Most pet parents know that canine vision differs from ours, but this does not mean that they live in a grey and blurry world. Read on to understand how your dog sees the world and how he may perceive your decked-out home.
COLOR
Like most mammals, dogs have two types of color-detecting cells called cones. These cells use incoming light to distinguish between blue and yellow wavelengths. Humans, however, have three types of cones and so are also able to distinguish between red and green wavelengths giving us a wider range of color perception. Although dogs cannot see red and green as we do, they may yet be able to distinguish between these two colors in the same way that color-blind individuals differentiate between them. A color-blind person has a deficiency in one of the cone cells, most commonly the red and green cell, but they can distinguish between the two colors by seeing them as dark or light. Red appears as a darker object, while green appears as a lighter one. In the same way dogs, for example, can distinguish between red and green apples, or red and green Christmas baubles, as one of them appears darker to them than the other, even though they cannot actually see the colors red and green.
Acuity
Besides color, dog vision differs from human vision in its acuity and its adaptation for different purposes. Dogs cannot see with the same detail and focus as humans as this area of their vision is not as well developed as human vision. This means dogs cannot distinguish the fine details in an object in the way that humans pick up on the minute characteristics of what they see. This is not to say that dog vision is blurry, it is not. They see the object as a whole, which serves the purpose of their vision. The species did not evolve to develop sharper focus, as it was not necessary to spot prey or predators. Dogs did develop sharper night vision, though, as this trait helped them to survive. Dog vision is at its best in low-light situations due to their having more light-detecting cells called rods. Most breeds even have a special eye layer behind the retina called tapetum lucidum that bounces light back to their retinas to further magnify the light that reaches their many rods, giving dogs better night vision than humans.
MOTION DETECTION
In addition to dogs seeing better at night, they are more adept at detecting motion. This is due to their enhanced ability to notice flickering light. To the human eye, once a light flickers at a rate of 60 times per second, it will appear as if it is shining steadily. This means that if an object is moving fast enough, we will not detect it as such. A dog, however, will continue to detect the flickering until it reaches a rate of 75 times per second, which is quite an evolutionary advantage. Canine vision allows them to better hunt prey and avoid predators, as what appears to us as standing still, will be clearly perceptible to them as moving.
Conclusion
What does this mean for you and how your pup sees his festive surroundings? Clearly, Fido can’t distinguish between all the colors in your home, nor can he appreciate the fine details of your latest decorative addition. However, dogs are able to see and enjoy looking at Christmas lights, as long as the flickering is not excessive, so as not to overstimulate him. No matter what the occasion, and no matter what his visual limitations, Fido is able to feel your family’s excitement and so may participate merrily in most of your holiday traditions.
