Ever wondered how our dogs really see the world? Dog-friendly holiday lettings company, Canine Cottages, helped by Rhian Rochford, a vet at PocketVet, has researched dogs’ vision, to understand how they see things in term of colour, clarity and dimension.
And with 8.5 million British households owning a dog, and 84% planning on taking a future staycation, Canine Cottages has created a range of sliding-scale images to depict how dogs see British staycation hotspots, compared to how we see them as humans. From the Cotswolds to the Eden Project, these hotspots can all be viewed here.
So, what are the main differences when it comes to a dog’s vision? As Rhian Rochford clarifies, “dogs have dichromatic vision, which means that they only see in two colours (blue and yellow), whereas humans see in three colours (blue, yellow and red). Instead of seeing red, a dog will see dark brown. Green will be seen as a beige colour and purple a blue tone”.
And when it comes to clarity of vision, “dogs have 4-8 times more blurred vision than humans, they also differentiate brightness half as well as humans. Dogs’ eyes are positioned at a 20-degree angle, which increases their peripheral vision. However, this also means that they have less binocular vision (not seeing things as 3D) than humans, thus reducing their depth perception, or ability to determine the distance between objects”.
Let’s take a look to see how a human’s vision of Brighton Pier compares to how a dog sees them:
You can see the colour spectrum is severely changed, as well as the blurriness and clarity of the images.
But, while vision loss has a life-changing impact for humans, the same can’t be said for blind dogs, who can still have a great quality of life even without the ability to see. This is because they rely heavily on their other senses, so can still cope well if their vision has gone.
Commenting on the research, Shannon Keary, Digital PR Manager at Canine Cottages, notes: “With many Brits taking their pooches on staycation this year, we thought it would be interesting to see how dogs see the sights compared to how we do, and really understand what is going on in our dogs’ heads! Although the images are drastically different, it’s exciting for dog owners to see what their pets are experiencing – and encouraging to also know that even without perfect vision, our dogs are still healthy and happy!”
To see the images in full, please visit: https://www.caninecottages.co.uk/blog/uk-landmarks-through-dogs-eyes
