Question
Do dogs see television and other "screens" the same way we do? For example, if they see a dog on TV, would it look to them like a dog on TV without any "distortion"? The reason I think there may be distortion to them is because TV is designed for our eyes (e.g. red, green, and blue "dots" that match the receptors in our eyes). This is somewhat related to this question: Do dogs really only see in black and white?.
Answer
There are several factors that affect your dog's perception of a TV or other screen.
Perception of motion: Display devices rely on displaying a rapid sequence of still images to produce the illusion of motion (the phi phenomenon). Dogs have a higher flicker fusion threshold than humans, so a screen that appears to show continuous motion to humans might appear to "flicker" to a dog.
Color: Dogs have two color receptors in their retinas, whereas humans have three. This means that they can distinguish fewer "hues" or types of color than humans. They can still tell whether light is coming from the low (red/green) or high (blue) frequency ends of the spectrum. So what a dog sees may be somewhat similar to a human with red-green colorblindness.
Other senses: Scent is a major factor in how dogs perceive the world, so a dog may not react to TV images the same as they would to real-world objects. Similarly, dogs have more acute hearing than humans which can affect their reaction to real versus recorded sounds.
Psychological factors: Even if a dog can "see" what is on the screen, it might not be able to actually recognize and identify objects.
References:
- What do dogs see? - Retriever Pro
- Can Dogs Watch Television? - The Naked Scientists
- Can Dogs Watch TV? - Pet Peoples Place
Answered By - augurar