Chien de race husky sibérien au pelage blanc, portant un collier rouge, avec des yeux vairons — un bleu et un ambre — sur fond de neige.

How does a dog see? Discover the world through its eyes

The world your dog sees isn't the same as yours. If you thought dogs saw in black and white, think again! Their vision is much more subtle, but also very different from that of humans. So, how exactly does a dog see? Here's what science says.

A dichromatic vision

Humans have three types of cones in the retina ( trichromatic vision): red, green, and blue.
Dogs, however, only have two: blue and yellow .

👉 Result:

  • Dogs cannot see red or green
  • They mainly see blue , yellow , and shades of gray.

A study conducted by Neitz et al. (1989) demonstrated that dogs possess dichromatic vision comparable to that of a human with red-green color blindness .

Blue is therefore a bright and highly visible color for a dog.

What about sharpness?

Dogs have less sharp vision than we do:

  • Estimated visual acuity: 20/75 to 20/100
  • This means that an object that a human can clearly see from 75 meters away, a dog will only be able to see clearly from about 20 meters away.

But in return, their peripheral vision is wider (up to 240° ) and their sensitivity to movement is excellent, making them very effective at detecting movements at a distance.

And in the dark?

Dogs have much better night vision than humans:

  • Thanks to a tapetum lucidum , a reflective layer behind the retina
  • And larger pupils that let in more light

🔦 Result: in the dark, a dog distinguishes shapes and movements much better than a human .

Conclusion: How does a dog see?

  • He doesn't see in black and white , but mainly distinguishes blue, yellow, and shades of gray.
  • His vision is less sharp , but he detects movement very well.
  • He can see much better in the dark than we can.
  • And he perceives the world in a different, but equally rich way.

Why is our PapattesBox blue?

At PapattesBox , we have chosen blue as the main color for your dog — not just for you.

  • Because blue is part of its vision spectrum
  • Because it's one of the few colors he can clearly distinguish
  • And because we want your dog to recognize its crate as soon as it arrives

Our mission: to make her world a little more alive… and more colorful in her eyes.

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