Can French Bulldogs See In The Dark? [Know The Truth!]

French bulldogs are one of the most lovable breeds around. They’re small, adorable, and have great personalities.

There are many common misconceptions about French bulldogs though. People often think that their eyesight is poor, or that they make good watchdogs. One question is still waiting to be answered though: can French Bulldogs see in the dark?

French Bulldogs are the canine equivalent of a superhero. They can see in darkness five times better than humans and don’t need any light sources! This dog breed possesses outsize eyes with larger pupils that allow more light to enter into it. The dark visuals arrive mainly in dark colors such as black, grey, or blue but these furry companions can easily spot these colors.

As an aware pet buff, you must be thinking that despite having vision capacity less than humans, how come Frenchies can spot the objects in dark. For this, the following factors would provide you with a better understanding of the vision mechanism in French Bulldogs.

The dichromatic vision of a French Bulldog

Humans have trichromatic vision as their eyes contain three cones. On the other hand, dogs have dichromatic vision as their eyes consist of two cones for color processing.

Due to this, Frenchies are only able to see the world through their innocent eyes in the shades of yellow, blue, and grey. They cannot see other colors such as red or green, unlike humans.

Apart from this, dogs possess a vision field of around 250 degrees, whereas a human eye has a visual field of about 180 degrees only. The color range of Frenchies is also limited due to the dichromatic vision but they have got tremendous ability to see 5 times better in the dark.

The FFF factor for better vision at night

FFF, also known as Faster Flicker Fusion, refers to a measurement of how rapidly an eye can adjust to the flickering light. Quicker the adaptability, the better the chances of getting a vision in low light. As compared to humans, dogs have a faster FFF. Due to this, they have superbly good vision at night.

How Frenchies see in the dark

The pivotal characteristic due to which Frenchies can see in the dark is because of their excellent night vision. These furry pals can easily see in the dark with greater ease and efficiency as compared to humans. Due to the below-mentioned vision privileges, Frenchies can spot objects in the dark.

Additional rods for superior low light vision

The anatomy of the Frenchies’ eyes consists of pupil, cornea, retina, and lens. Apart from this, the cones are present in the retina that assists in absorbing the light. Generally, most dog breeds have got more rods as compared to humans.

The rods are also referred to as light-sensitive cells that work brilliantly in low light conditions as compared to the color-detecting cones that are present in the human eye. This implies that dogs can see more superiorly than humans in low light situations such as a dark atmosphere or surroundings.

Placement of eye lens closer to the retina

The eye lenses of French Bulldogs are positioned more closely to their retina. The distance between the eye lens and retina in Frenchies is comparatively lesser than the distance which a human eye possesses. Due to this closer positioning of the eye lens, the image that is projected on the retina will appear vividly brighter.

Due to this eye mechanism, the French Bulldogs have got tremendously admirable efficiency to see in low or dim light situations. However, your Frenchie would need a small source of light that helps them to see in the dark.

Although these furry pals have got top-notch vision sense, they would still require some light to enter the eyes for spotting in the dark.

Bigger pupils mean enhanced vision

As stated earlier, French Bulldogs have got bigger eyes that are sometimes bulged as well. The size of their eye pupil is quite larger than the human eye. Due to this, more light can enter the eyes of Frenchies, resulting in improved night vision.

However, like most of the other dog breeds, the clarity and the sharpness of their vision is not up to the mark. They can see with greater efficiency in the dark, especially at night but whatever they see appears to be blurred.

Eyes adapted specifically for crepuscular light

The French Bulldogs are believed to be originated from the ancient wolves. That is why these furry companions possess a special natural advantage that enables them to hunt their prey in dim or low light conditions.

The eyes of the Frenchies are adapted naturally to see in dark or dim lighting. This also protects them from being preyed upon in the dark by the bigger predators.

Tapetum lucidum – The glow getter

The eyes of the dogs possess a nictitating membrane that is mainly a thin pinkish-white tissue. It plays the role of a third eyelid that protects the eyes as well.

The tapetum lucidum consists of a reflective lining placed behind the retina. Due to this lining, the eyes of the Frenchies tend to glow spookily when the light hits them. It also assists the pooches to see better in dim and low lights.

Wrap Up

The above-mentioned facts prove that Frenchies can easily and efficiently see in the dark without any hassle. And the reason for this miracle is certain specific characteristics bestowed in their eye mechanism which helps enhance their night vision.

Also, these furry companions can easily spot the objects in the dark or low-lit surroundings as well. Although, their color range is partially limited their vision proficiency in darkness is remarkably better than the humans.