4 ms·

My 12 year old labrador is in excellent shape, but his hearing is no longer quite up to scratch, and to avoid embarrassing levels of shouting when we are out an

My 12 year old labrador is in excellent shape, but his hearing is no longer quite up to scratch, and to avoid embarrassing levels of shouting when we are out and about, I increasingly use pointing and other signs at my end of our communication. Also, his left eye has been problematic for many years, and apparently only registers the haziest of outlines these days. And yet, he contantly amazes me by the range and precision of his vision. Downwards pointing with my left arm means come here at once, which he will reliably register at a distance more than a hundred meters. Other dogs he will recognize at distances further than that, and he will unerringly home in on thrown stick bobbing on the water, as long as it's on the right, where his good eye can see. Clearly, there's more to it than just they are short sighted.

dunstad 7y ago
As a nearsighted human who didn't get glasses as early as he should have, I used to use people's gait or clothing to recognize them at long distances. You know your dog best, just saying there can be ways to compensate.
- interfixus 7y ago
  Without a doubt, yes, all sorts of compensation are at play. Still, the fact remains that he reliably picks up my relatively subdued sign language at great distance. And swimming, even in rough sea, if he can't pick out the floating stick, he'll look to me, I'll point, he will scan as directed, and head straight for the thing. One way or the other, all this is decent visual performance, nothing nearsighted about it.
  - Moru 7y ago
    We all compensate for the handicaps we have. I'm also was very nearsighted since I was about 11. I did get glasses but didn't use them while skiing, not very confy under the helmet. But I could still see who of my classmates were at the bottom of the mountain, about 300 m away, because of the movement pattern. I have no clue how we know how dogs have bad eye sight, I can't even begin to imagine how we know about T-Rex. I have to look at that link someone posted.
jacobush 7y ago
I have noticed my dog scans people visually at a great distance. (Looking for people he might know, I imagine.)

dunstad 7y ago

As a nearsighted human who didn't get glasses as early as he should have, I used to use people's gait or clothing to recognize them at long distances. You know your dog best, just saying there can be ways to compensate.

interfixus 7y ago
Without a doubt, yes, all sorts of compensation are at play. Still, the fact remains that he reliably picks up my relatively subdued sign language at great distance. And swimming, even in rough sea, if he can't pick out the floating stick, he'll look to me, I'll point, he will scan as directed, and head straight for the thing. One way or the other, all this is decent visual performance, nothing nearsighted about it.
- Moru 7y ago
  We all compensate for the handicaps we have. I'm also was very nearsighted since I was about 11. I did get glasses but didn't use them while skiing, not very confy under the helmet. But I could still see who of my classmates were at the bottom of the mountain, about 300 m away, because of the movement pattern. I have no clue how we know how dogs have bad eye sight, I can't even begin to imagine how we know about T-Rex. I have to look at that link someone posted.

jacobush 7y ago

I have noticed my dog scans people visually at a great distance. (Looking for people he might know, I imagine.)