Our four-legged darlings observe the world from a completely different perspective than we humans do. Have you ever wondered whether dogs see only in black and white, or whether they see better in the dark than we do? Would you like to know how to support healthy eyesight and which toy colour your furry friend will appreciate most? Every dog has beautiful eyes in its own way and can express its wishes with them. The eyes are the mirror of the soul, and almost no one can resist a dog's. 

A dog's eye sits in a bony eye socket and is protected on the surface by eyelids – unlike the human eye, dogs also have a third eyelid, a thin membrane we don't normally see. It has several functions, the most important being protection against external influences. Another significant difference compared with the human eye is the ratio of cones to rods in the retina. The human eye recognises hundreds of colours thanks to three types of receptors in the eye, whereas dogs' eyes have only two, so they can't pick up as wide a range of colours as humans. Cones affect the perception of colours and detail, rods are important for perceiving movement and seeing in low light. 

For many years it was assumed that dogs see the world only like an old black-and-white photograph. Various scientific studies using an electron microscope have shown that dogs, just like us, perceive colours, but in a very limited range. Their vision can be compared to people with a particular type of colour blindness – they have trouble telling green and red apart, as this ability is weakened. In the world they perceive, various shades of blue, yellow and grey prevail. From this point of view, experts recommend getting your dog toys in blue or purple, which they can then easily spot on a green lawn. 

A dog's eyes react very clearly to light brightness. They see well in the dark, better than we humans do. This is due to crystal structures in the eye that can reflect light. 

The problem with dogs' eyesight is that they're less able to focus sharply. Their visual acuity can be compared to short-sightedness. They can't focus on very close objects, which is why they use their sense of smell to examine them. People see clearly up to a distance of 22 m, whereas a dog sees the same way only up to 6 m. They make up for this disadvantage by being excellent at detecting any movement and flickering light. So it's no wonder that no quick squirrel or cat escapes their eyes. 

A dog's eyesight boasts excellent peripheral vision. While people have a field of view of up to 180 degrees, dogs' eyes can see up to 240 degrees. This gives them an almost panoramic view. Because their eyes are set further apart than ours, they can see things that we only see when we turn our heads.
The imperfections of a dog's eyesight are balanced out by an excellent sense of smell. Our dogs would tell us anyway that the world of scents is definitely more interesting than staring at the world – unless there happens to be a cat nearby.

A final tip: did you know that pumpkin isn't just a symbol of autumn but is especially good for supporting your dog's healthy eyes? Thanks to its high beta-carotene content, it protects the eyes against cataracts and damage from sunlight. It can also help protect older dogs from developing eye diseases. 

You'll read more about how to enrich your dog's diet with pumpkin and how to make the perfect homemade pumpkin treat in our next article. Your furry friend will literally fall in love with pumpkin in this form.