How you see the world. How your dog sees the world. And the massive difference between the two!

You may have heard that dogs see the world differently. We had too. But when author Jennifer Arnold called and gave us her insights into just how differently dogs see the world, we were blown away. So we've asked Jennifer to give us her 'top five' dog-sense facts. Prepare to be amazed!

1. Dogs actually understand very few words. Instead they rely on our tone and body language to glean the meaning in our voices. They can detect less then a tenth of a millimetre of movement, allowing them to pick up the smallest change in our posture and demeanour.

2. Since dogs don't have language, they remember things by taking 'snapshots' or small clips of smells, sounds and sights. They can recall those clips when placing their current circumstances in context.

3. Your dog would fail his drivers' examination without glasses. Dogs are quite near-sighted. What humans can see from 80 feet away, a dog cannot make out until he is 20 feet away. They do, however, have better vision in low light for motion than do people.

4. Your dog sees detail poorly, much as you would if you looked through a lens smeared with cooking oil.

5. Dogs do see colours but not the wide and vivid spectrum that most people see. Dogs can see blues, yellows and many shades of grey, but not green or red.

Finally, while our dogs may not always see well, their sense of smell boggles the mind! Dogs can smell parts per trillion compared to our ability to smell only parts per hundred. This means that a dog could detect a single drop of vanilla in an Olympic-size, chlorinated swimming pool.

For more insights on a dog's-eye view of the world, see Through a dog's eyes: understanding our dogs by understanding how they see the world by Jennifer Arnold (published by Souvenir Press, £18.99).

For a £3 discount off the RRP, with free P&P, call 01235 827702.

 

Finally, if you have any stories about YOUR dog's amazing senses, just get in touch by commenting below.