Animals & nature · 2000
How sharply can dogs see, and how can a shape-choice task measure it?
Three trained Shiba dogs had best visual-acuity scores of 0.23–0.33. Researchers measured their acuity by changing ring size or viewing distance during a task that required distinguishing a from an ordinary ring.
Details
This behavioral experiment aimed to determine the visual acuity of dogs. Three Shiba dogs—two females and one male—were trained to distinguish a Landolt ring from an ordinary ring of equal size in a task associated with feed. The left and right positions of the two targets were shifted according to the Gellermann series.
Once the dogs were fully trained, the researchers determined their visual acuity by changing the size of the rings or the distance from the target. Each dog underwent one or two sessions daily, with 30 trials per session. Successful discrimination required three consecutive sessions with more than 21 correct choices in each session (P<0.05, Chi-square test).
The best visual-acuity scores in these three dogs were 0.23–0.33. These scores were slightly better than results reported for some other domestic animals.
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