If you want the quick answer then just click here: Can dogs see what’s on TV.

Why do people think dogs can’t see images on a TV Screen?

If we look at monitor or TV screens with low refresh rates we sometimes get a headache or can actually see a slight flicker on the screen. Refresh rates are measured in Hz and the lower the refresh rate, for example 50Hz or 60Hz the slower a screen will refresh the image. Because it’s slow your eye can actually pick this up by seeing the black space better the refreshed frames. You can see this happening when you film your TV screen or computer monitor using a camera with an incorrect refresh rate. If your TV has a higher refresh rate, for example around 70 or 80Hz then you won’t notice normally any flicker.

It is for this reason that many people debate whether a dog sees a TV screen at the same refresh rate as a human. Many people believe that dogs in fact see at a higher refresh rate than humans therefore making it hard for them to see a standard consumer TV with refresh rate of 50 – 60Hz. It has being found that this is true and most dogs will a TV Screen picture with a refresh rate of 70 – 80Hz and above. If below this refresh rate they will see flicking pictures, but as with most things there is more to it than a simple yes or no answer.

How have they worked out that dogs have the higher refresh rate?

There is a technique where they can measure the refresh rate called flicker fusion. This involves observing the cone cells in the retina as different frequency of light is emulated. They work out what level of light intensity before the cells can’t process anymore light. They have determined from this that humans have tolerance of 50 – 60 Hz while dogs are 70 – 80 Hz. As mentioned above this means TV or screens with a refresh rate of 60Hz and over will appear normal to humans while dogs may require rates of 70Hz or over to see the TV picture.

By now it should be scientifically proven that dogs won’t be able to view images on TV unless they have a refresh rate over 70Hz. So if their is an arguement over whether a dog can see a TV screen then the answer is yes if you have the correct refresh rate, otherwise it may just be seeing a flickering screen. Another interesting thing to note is about dogs nose shape to their eye sight (which will be in another article coming up: How does nose size effect a dogs vision). Dogs generally with smaller noses have better middle view and poorer peripheral vision (they lack the visual streak). They however make up for the lack of visual streak in the eye by the area centralis having three times the density of nerve endings as a visual streak. This means they see in greater detail, which might explain why the smaller pug nose type dogs can often be seen watching TV or watching their owners face. To humans they come across more attentive to us because humans are very visual. Larger nose dogs often have better peripheral vision and therefore are better at seeing movement around the outside of their eyes, often making good retrieving dogs, but they are usually less visual to humans since they use their other sensors more such as smell and audio.

So what sort of conclusions can we make? Can dogs view TV Screens? 

Yes dogs can see TV screens, however it has being tested that dogs might not be able to properly see screens with refresh rates below 70Hz (could be viewed as a flickering screen). Also you might find that dogs with smaller noses are more attentive towards the Television due the fact they generally see more detail with their middle vision, this is due to area centralis having three times the density of nerve endings to longer nose dogs which have visual streak (longer nose dogs have a better peripheral vision with the addition of the visual streak).

How well can dogs see at night?

Dogs generally have great vision. In a previous article, can dogs see colour?, we found out they see colour but do lack the colour spectrum humans have. So what happens when the lights go out or the sun goes down. How well do dogs see during low levels of light?

Dogs see much better than humans in low light situations. They have larger pupils which let in more light and their retina contains more light sensitive “rod cells” but less colour sensitive “cone cells” (you can read more about how dogs view colour in the article: Are Dogs Colour Blind?). The light-sensitive compounds in the retina respond to lower light levels. And the lens is located closer to the retina, making the image on the retina brighter.

So you might think that having more light senstive cells are the end of the story, but dogs actually have another mechanism which helps to prove its eye sight at night. The dogs eye has a mirror-like structure at the back called the tapetum which reflects light that gives the retina a second chance to register light. You can see the tapetum if you see the dogs eyes glow at night from something like a torch. Although this improves dogs vision during the night it may also degrade the dogs vision by scattering light. So dogs vision may reduce from 20:20 vision to about 20:80.

So dogs can see during low light conditions, approximately 5 times better than humans. Their eyes are formed to be more sensitive to light (extra rod cells) and also the tapetum reflects light. Though also keep in mind that not all dogs eyes are the same shape. Some breeds have different shaped eyes, which makes sense depending where in the world they came from (habitat would vary how a dog has evolved to its surroundings).

So what might a dog see at night when compared to a humans vision, here is a photoshop graded photo of what a dogs night vision might look like:

Are Dogs coloured blind?

Some people have being told that this is true, while others don’t believe that dogs are colour blind. Before the internet you could only go on the word of the person who told you and they probably heard it from the guy down the road. The truth of the matter is that dogs do see colour, however it is not the same colour depth that humans have.

Both the eyes of humans and dogs contain special light catching cells called cones which respond to colour. Dogs contain fewer cones than humans which would lead you to conclude they must not gather the same colour depth as humans. However colour is more than just the number of cones, it also is the type of cone which each tunes to different wavelengths. A human with full colour range has three different cones while a human who is blind to certain colours might only have two different cones. For dogs, they have only two different types of cones which would mean they don’t have the same colour spectrum as humans.

A study at the University of California, tested the colour vision of dogs. For many test trials, dogs were shown three light panels in a row–two of the panels were the same colour, while the third was different. The dogs’ task was to find the one that was different and to press that panel. If the dog was correct, he was rewarded with a treat that the computer delivered to the cup below that panel.
It was confirmed that dogs actually do see colour, but many fewer colours than normal humans do. Instead of seeing the rainbow as violet, blue, blue-green, green, yellow, orange and red, dogs would see it as dark blue, light blue, gray, light yellow, darker yellow (sort of brown), and very dark gray. In other words, dogs see the colours of the world as basically yellow, blue and gray. They see the colours green, yellow and orange as yellowish, and they see violet and blue as blue. Blue-green is seen as a gray. You can see what the spectrum looks like to people and dogs below.

So next time you buy your dog a treat or toy you should think about the colour!

So what is the conclusion to the question – are dogs colour blind? The answer is when compared to humans then yes they are colour blind however they do see colour which dispels that myth that dogs only see in gray scale. Dogs lack the colour spectrum that humans do, missing colours like reds, greens and purple. But since dogs can’t see all the colours humans can then would they even notice it? Of course they wouldn’t, to them their colour spectrum is normal and they don’t know they are missing out on extra colour. I guess the next question would be why do dogs lack the colour spectrum and I guess you could come up with many answers, whether its improves their grayscale contrast when hunting, or maybe something to do with night vision. Well that sounds like another article to be written: Can dogs see in the dark?

Though also keep in mind that not all dogs eyes are the same shape. Some breeds have different shaped eyes, which makes sense depending where in the world they came from (habitat would vary how a dog has evolved to its surroundings).

If you are interested in how a dog may see you then here is a quick photoshop image using the colours from the above chart:

How a Dog sees you

A while back I did some experimenting with fish oil on my Spoodle dog Teddy. The results were quite amazing, especially with regards to his coat. A big issue I have had with teddy is his coat went quite dull and started to feel coarse. Though a lot of that I have put down to his age, I started to look around wondering if there could be an issue with his diet. I take fish oil myself because of the huge health benefits that come with Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. One day I took teddy to the beach and saw him racing around sniffing for something. To my horror I saw him grab an old dead fish and start to eat it. At the time I was angry at him, but later I started thinking about dogs being scavengers and wondered if fish would be a natural food for dogs. Could it be that a lot of diets we give our dogs lack important nutrients only found naturally occurring in foods like fish? From this I decided to give Teddy fish oil. The results were amazing and as a result I had being giving him fish oil with most meals daily. The issue came about when I ran out of fish oil and I hadn’t got around to sourcing more product for him for several months.

A few months ago I came across a product from a small local company who make a fish oil for dogs. They weren’t a large corporation and they source their fish oil from New Zealand Hoki which is sustainable sourced (which is a good thing with over-fishing a real problem in today’s world). I got a couple of bottles to try out on teddy to see what the results would be like and to get him back onto it.

The bottles were sent via courier and they came with a dispenser lid. This was the first difference I noticed since I had previously being using fish oil tablets. A benefit of the dispersal lid is that I could easily add the fish oil over his food rather than having to wrap a tablet in something like cheese or meat. Also I keep fish oil in the fridge so a bottle like this makes it easy to store and find.

With the courier pack I also got a card explaining who the company was and what they were doing. Their focus is on providing a sustainable source of fish oil for dogs which seems to be at an affordable price. Their fish oil has Omega 3, 6 and 9 which promotes glossy coats, helps with joint and cardiac care, and general wellbeing. I don’t have a medical background, nor the scientific results to say this product will definitely do this for certain however I do know from my experience previously with fish oil that Teddy’s coat did improve and their might have being other health benefits that couldn’t be seen.

I started to give teddy the fish oil and wasn’t expecting much until after a few months of use. During that time I observed how I found applying the Newflands Fish oil to his food and whether he enjoyed it. I chopped up his raw chicken wings and gravel beef on a plate and then added the recommended fish oil of two pushes on the dispenser lid. This was very easy to add to his food and I found it much like using a soap dispenser when washing your hands. Teddy had no issues with the fish oil in fact he really liked it, licking up the plate afterwards. The only downside I saw was that on that first meal I didn’t mix the fish oil with the meat and therefore he did get fish oil on his fur around his mouth. This meant I had to wash his face after dinner but this is no longer an issue now that I mix the fish oil into his food. I also now keep the fur on his face shorter.

The other thing I noticed was how much fish oil you get in each bottle. It’s a lot. It may not be as concentrated as fish oil tablets however I never did like giving teddy such strong fish oil tablets and now I feel much better giving him a more natural product. In the mornings I mixed Teddy’s biscuits with the fish oil and he really liked the mix so it definitely got the pass mark from Teddy’s taste buds.

Results

I didn’t expect any huge results however I was again really surprised the benefits I got from giving Teddy the Fish oil from Newflands. After about two months his coat got softer and also it seems like there is more oil in it. I think Teddy was lacking oil in his coat and I the fish oil seems to have helped to better this which in turn might have given his coat a more shinny look and softer feel.

I can only guess what other health benefits Teddy is receiving from a more varied diet and it’s possible previously he was depleted in something from his previous diet. I think it has worked really well for Teddy and again another positive result from Fish Oil. It is great to see a local New Zealand company getting behind fish oil supplements for dogs. I will be using this product on Teddy into the future and if you are looking at fish oil for your dog I would recommend Newflands fish oil product.

Website: Newflands Website
Facebook: Facebook Page

I give this product a rating of 9/10

Pro’s and Con’s with Teddy’s use:

Cons:

• Did get the odd time when Teddy’s fur on the face got fish oil on it.
• The odd bad breath day.

Pros:

• Teddy’s fur got shinier, smoother and also more oil within the coat
• Teddy loved the fish oil taste
• Was easily mixed into any of his food
• Easy to store
• Easy to apply with the pump lid dispenser
• Very Affordable Pricing and lasts along time

Fleas: The most common issue with dogs itching at this time of the year is fleas. Fleas might not live on your dog and therefore they might not be noticeable if you look on your dog. You will notice with fleas red bumps which get worse when your dog scratches. Often your dog will scratch so much they may cause the flea bite to turn into a scab. If you notice scabs on your dogs and redness then you will need to treat your dog with flea treatment. If the redness has turned more into a rash or is overly red you will need to take your dog to the vet and they should give you some cream which will help sooth the itch. If your dog reacts badly to flea bites they may have an allergy and as a result your vet may also give you some anti histamines which will help your dog recover. Once your dog is treated I would recommend giving your house a really good vacuum, making sure you get into the corners. Most fleas will live off the dog and only jump on once every month or so to feed. If you still have issues I would recommend also spraying your home with an insect control of some sort, there are many out there.

Heat: Due to different coats in dogs some may not be suited to warmer weather and as a result they may get irritated from overheating. It can be a good idea to reduce this by simply trimming their coat more regularly and keeping it short. If your dog is irritated they will start to scratch at their skin, from regular, constant scratching a dog can start to cut into the skin. If a cut develops and the coat is long it can be a good breeding ground for bacteria which can cause a scratch to turn into a “hot spot”. This is an infected cut which rapidly grows into a larger issue if untreated. It can be hard to see a hot spot when the coat is long and often you will feel a solid scabby mess on the coat. The only way to treat this effectively is to take your dog to a vet. The vet should give your dog anti-biotics and cream. They will also shave the fur away from the area to let it break. If can be a horrible site when discovered however with the right treatment they go away within a week or so. Hot spots come on very quickly but if you keep your dogs fur under control they should be ok. Common areas to check for hot spots are around the top of the head, under the arm pits and around the paws ( in particular between the toes).

Skin allergy: This is more common around the pollen seasons and also any plants and food your dog is allergic to. Allergies can be hard to work out but often they are contact allergies such as plants and sometimes it could be food related. During the warmer months there will be a lot of flowers out and they could cause your dog to suffer from sickness, tiredness, and skin issues. They are very hard to pin point due the number of plants that are out there and often the vet will treat the symptoms as they see them. It can be really hard to see your dog red all over and to put your finger on what the issue is however if you can workout the plant that is causing the issue you might be able to prevent your dog getting itchy in the future.
Here is a list of plants that maybe poisonous to dogs:

• Bulbs: Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Daffodil, Day Lily, Elephant Ears, Gladiolas, Hyacinth, Iris, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Orange Day Lily, Tulip
• Ferns: Aparagus Fern, Australian Nut, Emerald Feather (aka Emerald Fern), Emerald Fern (aka Emerald Feather), Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern
  Flowering Plants: Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Kalanchoe, Poinsettia
• Garden Perennials: Charming Diffenbachia, Christmas Rose, Flamingo Plant, Foxglove, Marijuana, Morning Glory, Nightshade, Onion, Tomato Plant, Tropic Snow Dumbcane
• House Plants: Ceriman (aka Cutleaf Philodendron), Chinese Evergreen, Cordatum, Corn Plant (aka Cornstalk Plant), Cutleaf Philodendron (aka Ceriman), Devil’s Ivy, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Green Gold Nephthysis, Marble Queen, Mauna Loa Peace Lily, Nephthytis, Peace Lily, Red-Margined Dracaena, Striped Dracaena, Taro Vine, Warneckei Dracaena
• Lillies: Asian Lily (liliaceae), Easter Lily, Glory Lily, Japanese Show Lily, Red Lily, Rubrum Lily, Stargazer Lily, Tiger Lily, Wood Lily
  Shrubs: Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Jerusalem Cherry, Mistletoe “American”, Oleander, Precatory Bean, Rhododendron, Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Tree Philodendron, Yucca
• Succulents: Aloe (Aloe Vera)
• Trees: Avocado, Buddist Pine, Chinaberry Tree, Japanese Yew (aka Yew), Lacy Tree, Macadamia Nut, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Queensland Nut, Schefflera, Yew (aka Japanese Yew)
• Vines: Branching Ivy, English Ivy, European Bittersweet, Glacier Ivy, Hahn’s self branching English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy
• Others: American Bittersweet, Andromeda Japonica, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Buckeye, Caladium hortulanum, Calla Lily, Castor Bean, Clematis, Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron, Florida Beauty, Fruit Salad Plant, Golden Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust Dracaena, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Mother-in-law, Panda, Philodendron Pertusum, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Ribbon Plant, Satin Pothos, Spotted Dumb Cane, Sweetheart Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant, Variable Dieffenbachia, Variegated Philodendron, Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow

Microchipping ensures that if your dog is lost or stolen it can be easily identified – especially if its identification tag has fallen off. You can get your dog microchipped at your local veterinary clinic or enquire at your local council. Some local council’s will subsidise the cost of microchipping your dog, however this varies from region to region. There are standards that must be adhered to when the microchipping is done so it is important you check with your local council for a list of good operators.

The microchip itself is the size of a grain of rice and the cost of the operation varies (usually around $45 – $80). It is inserted usually just behind the shoulders using a needle. The procedure usually only takes a few seconds and is not too different from a vaccination. The chip has a unique number to your dogs information and is stored on a national database, which means it can be scanned anywhere in New Zealand and be recognised. Most SPCA and pounds hold scanners so if your dog gets away from your home it can be quickly identified and returned.

Microchipping usually only has to be done once in your dog’s life and ensures that if your dog needs to be identified then it has a permanent way.

We get caught up in the huge learning curve of training a dog, getting it micro chipped, learning the local council rules of registration and learning generally about how to look after a dog. We don’t think about calling the local pet insurer when we bring our new puppy home for the first time and finding out how to get your dog covered.

So what is Pet insurance?

It usually covers your vet bill when you Dog gets ill or injured in an accident and can also cover you if your dog gets lost or stolen or dies.

Why is this important?

When we get a dog we don’t think about it getting sick or ill. Trips to the vet are usually a common occurrence, especially when they are younger. We take our dogs to the vet usually for there routine check and vaccination and the cost of this is fairly modest. What we usually don’t expect is those accidents which occur during the year and leave us with good size vet bills. Normally we have no issues paying what it takes to get our dog fixed up; however it can leave you slightly bitter. Pet insurance helps to cover these costs with a wide range of plans which cover your pets for difference situations. You can get some of the cost of getting your dog fixed and also vaccinations covered or just have it for accidents. Prices vary according to the plan you choose. The benefit I see with Pet insurance is that it covers you for accidents which can give us peace of mind knowing that you aren’t worrying about the huge vet bill. During the time you have a dog it will most likely at some point get ill and it’s rare not to take your dog to the vet a couple of times a year.

A Few things to think about:

It’s important you do your research and look at various companies to find a plan which suits your situation. Costs vary according to the cover you get – usually the more covered your dog, the more it will cost. Pet insurance will usually cover a dog up until a certain age, once a dog reaches that age they will either refuse to cover them or up their premiums. You need to make sure you get a specific diagnosis of your dog’s illness as they can reject claims if it’s not well documented – usually this isn’t a major issue as you can normally just ring up your vet and they can give you all there notes.

Pet insurance won’t be for everyone however it’s well worth investigating as accidents and vet visits are usually a common occurrence when you own a dog.

A good balanced diet can improve the health of your dog. Raw foods, meats, vegetables, fish and eggs can all contribute to a varying diet which gives your dog the variety that it needs.

Teddy’s diet
Teddy, my dog, has a diet which consists of dry food in the morning and raw food at night. I looked at the package of the dry food and saw that it was filled with all sorts of nutrition which I just assumed would fill any lack of nutrition gap. At around age three I noticed that teddy’s coat started to fade and also get quite coarse. His skin would become quite dry and often he would have issue. I read around on the internet on dry skin and found that it might be a lack of oil in the skin due to a not so good diet. Naturally I thought that this couldn’t be an issue with Teddy as his diet is quite good. On reading further they started to talk about fish oil tablets and omega 3 for dogs. I know humans can take fish oil tablets but never really thought dogs could. Reading about how they can improve a dog’s skin and coat I thought I would give it a try, since I did have a spare case of fish oil tablets in the fridge no one was using.

The results of Omega 3 Fish Oil tablets on dog
I gave teddy one whole fish oil tablet every morning with some cheese. Naturally I didn’t expect much to happen as I don’t totally believe this would be a miracle fix to his coat. After one week not a lot had happened and I thought this must be another one of these alternative healing articles which claim more than they deliver. I continued on with the fish oil every morning as I did have 100 tablets and thought I might as well give this a good shot. After a while it became habit to give him a tablet and I soon forgot about his coat. After about a month I was stroking him and I thought his coat feels softer. It was at this point, I wondered if this was the fish oil. Now 3 months on his coat still feels softer than before, its actually quite amazing and didn’t really expect this. I can’t say for sure that it was the omega 3 tablets however it’s the only part of his diet I have changed. Whenever I catch fish now, especially Kahawai I make it a point to feed some to him. I can’t say for sure that Omega 3 fish oil will definitely soften your dogs coat or improve his skin, however on Teddy the results have being very promising.

The main and practical reason we groom dogs is to improve there coat and health.

- Grooming takes away loose hair and dead skin, improving air circulation within the fur and allowing it to breath.

- With regular grooming you can keep an eye on any skin conditions your dog may experience before they get out of hand.

- You will notice any bite marks from fleas or see ticks on your dog. This means you can get proper, effective flea and tick treatment before it gets out of hand.

- Grooming stimulates the lymphatic system, which works similar to a massage in humans.

- Grooming increases the blood flow to hair follicles. This means a healthy shinny coat.

- You can also get a chance to check your dog’s paws and pads out. This can be a common place for grass seeds, cuts and knots.

- Grooming is a great way to bond with your dog.

In today’s world it can be very hard to find time to groom your dog. Lucky for us we have Professional Groomers.

There can be a variety of issues which cause this however most likely the cause is fleas. Often you won’t see them on your dog however you might notice red bites. The reason you might not see fleas is because they often live off the dog in cracks in your home. A flea only needs to feed once every three months, so a dog with many bites could be caused by only a few fleas. Ongoing bites will mean you have a good number of fleas living in your home. Humid conditions, especially after rainfall then a period of sun, will result in eggs hatching and thus more infestation.

Best treatment is first to apply flea control from your Vet. They are the best to advise you because it varies according to your dog’s size and type of coat. The next step is to vacuum your house and often. Make sure you clean your dogs sleeping area and vacuum well where the wall meets the carpet. If you have cats make sure you de-flea them because they are often a cause of bringing fleas into a home. If you own a dog with a non-shedding coat it can also be a good idea to trim its fur shorter than normal. If a dog is able to chew at the flea bites they can swell up into large red marks and cause even more irritation. In very bad cases you can visit your vet and they can provide you with a cream which sooths the itchiness. If flea treatment isn’t working you may need to consider buying a puppy spray and soaking the whole coat. I have had to do this a couple of times with my spoodle and it works very well. Some dogs are allergic to flea bites and they can break out into a rash. You need to watch this as it can lead to anaphylactic shock in worse cases. Other causes of itchiness are toxic plants, splinters (especially on decks), pollen allergies and other insect bites such as spiders. If you are unsure take them to the vet for a quick check