To get along with another person, it's important to understand that we all see the world a little bit differently. Other species experience the world even more differently, including not just sight, but also smells, touch, and sound.
Canine Vision Differences
Dogs see colors differently than humans. They are red-green colorblind, meaning that, like approximately 4% of humans, they can't tell these colors apart. In the wild, dogs are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk), so they can see better at night than humans. In contrast, canine distance vision is blurrier than that of humans. They have a wider field of vision than humans meaning they can see more around them without turning their head. Their depth perception is less however. Check out the video below from WebMD to see how your dog views the world.
These differences aren't just fun trivia. They are important to remember when interacting with your dog. If you throw a red ball into the grass, it may be hard for your dog to see. A blue ball might work better, even if it looks like less contrast to your human eyes. You may notice that your dog reacts to movement more strongly than you do, but not to something very far away. And, because dogs have better night vision, many people rely on them to keep watch at night.
Canine Scent
Compared to humans, dogs rely much more on their sense of smell to provide spatial and social information (Where am I? Who else has been here recently?). Dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses. Humans have 50x fewer. Dog brains dedicate about 40 times more brain power processing to smells than human brains. They are irresistibly attracted to new scents, a phenomenon called neophilia. Within their nasal cavity, they have a special organ—the vomeronasal organ, or Jacobsen’s organ—that allows them to pick up on pheromones. Pheromones convey social and emotional information like stress or readiness to mate. Since humans don't pick up on pheromones like dogs, we use facial expressions or words to convey emotional information. Dogs have the ability to wiggle their noses independently, allowing them to tell which direction a scent is coming from.
Again, this is important information for dog owners! Some dogs are trained to use their gifts. They can sniff out bombs, drugs, or missing people. Some researchers have successfully trained dogs to detect diseases—including cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, and, malaria—from scent.
Your dog may not be trained to be a super hero, but it's important to know why they are always stopping and smelling things. Sometimes, you may be in a hurry or be exercising with your dog. Your dog should be trained to listen to you (we can help with that!). But when you can, stop and let your canine friend smell the roses (or the fire hydrants). Remember, this is fun, stimulating, and informative for your dog, who sees (and smells) the world very differently.
