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Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

theatlantic.com

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Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#71

Post by NetOpWibby »

jyriand wrote: post #40
NetOpWibby wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn, I cannot wait to have a dog.

Getting a dog should not be an emotional decision. I have a dog and sometimes it's a lot of work. Feeding, pooping, pissing, neverending fur in the house and on my clothes, vet, constant attention seeking etc. Just to mention a few things. And if you need to travel you need a babysitter for your dog. It's easier if you have a backyard where the dog can chill.

I am fully aware of this, that's why I'm waiting until I own a home to get one. I have two kids.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#73

Post by RankingMember »

matwood wrote: post #52
mschuster91 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Think about a cat instead ;) Seriously, dogs are a shitload of work and especially, no matter how fucked the weather outside is, you gotta take the dog to walks so that the dog can take a dump. In addition, many of the larger breeds are working dogs which means that they require massive amounts of attention and daily exercise so they don't literally go mad. Please do proper research upon the characteristics of your d…

I've had cats over the years, and currently have 1 cat and 3 dogs (my wife is part of a dog rescue). While cats are easier, IMO they do not give the same emotional reward that dogs give. You are absolutely right about understanding the breed and the work a dog requires. It makes my wife and I sad whenever we see someone get a 'cute' working dog puppy that requires proper exercise, and then barely letting it outside 2…

I'd go a step further and say pet insurance is basically a requirement if you want to give your pet a solid existence without needing to hold a big chunk of money in case of emergency. There are few things sadder to me than someone putting an animal down for a fixable issue.

WRT cats, I'd argue that perhaps you just haven't met the right cat. :P I've come to think there's an expectation incongruity at play in that people who are used to dogs are thrown off when a cat wants his/her alone time, whereas a dog is pretty much always "on" socially. Becoming the target of a cat's affection is imo emotionally rewarding in a special way partially because they don't give it away to just anyone.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#74

Post by xsace »

Joakal wrote: post #26

This is a good opportunity to educate the general [HN] community about dogs: 1. They can only see blue/yellow. Not like humans' RGB. 2. They are short sighted. For far away objects, their sight is like a T-Rex, they can see moving objects, not stationary objects. Remain still, and they can't see you. Then again, they can smell you, especially if it's downwind. 3. Their flicker fusion threshold is higher than humans.…

today I learn dogs see us as Simpsons characters

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#75

Post by RankingMember »

omni wrote: post #69
mschuster91 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Think about a cat instead ;) Seriously, dogs are a shitload of work and especially, no matter how fucked the weather outside is, you gotta take the dog to walks so that the dog can take a dump. In addition, many of the larger breeds are working dogs which means that they require massive amounts of attention and daily exercise so they don't literally go mad. Please do proper research upon the characteristics of your d…

This meme of not getting rescue dogs is so harmful and needs to stop. Good adoption agencies will foster the dogs for a while and let you know if the dog actually has behavioral issues. Plenty of them don't. I'm convinced my rescue's previous owner was a little old lady who died or something. He has no issues at all. Every time I look at my amazing rescue dog (my first dog ever) and think about how he was almost put…

Agreed 100%. There's nothing magical about pure bred dogs that makes them behaviorally superior, and furthermore there's a world of breed-specific health issues that come with pure bred dogs, not to mention the difficulty of making sure you're not inadvertently supporting a puppy mill. Any rescue worth their salt will let you do a trial anyways, so if you find out you've got a serial killer on your hands it's not like you're stuck.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#76

Post by lelima »

Joakal wrote: post #26

This is a good opportunity to educate the general [HN] community about dogs: 1. They can only see blue/yellow. Not like humans' RGB. 2. They are short sighted. For far away objects, their sight is like a T-Rex, they can see moving objects, not stationary objects. Remain still, and they can't see you. Then again, they can smell you, especially if it's downwind. 3. Their flicker fusion threshold is higher than humans.…

The dog Image Processing Tool is pretty awesome, thanks for the link!

I wonder if is possible design glasses with the same goal.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#77

Post by bmurphy1976 »

I always found dog eyes interesting. Some dogs have eyes that very animal like. I grew up around Miniature Schnauzers and their eyes are eerily human. The biggest difference is that the iris is a little too big. Were it not for that, I'd have a hard time distinguishing their eyes from ours.

I find that to be rather astounding actually. Given the wide variety of expressions Schnauzers at least are capable of emoting, it's pretty amazing how easy it is for two unrelated species to communicate on such a level. They speak a lot with their eyes. Look closely, you'll be amazed.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#78

Post by tw04 »

vanderZwan wrote: post #47
Joakal wrote: post #26

This is a good opportunity to educate the general [HN] community about dogs: 1. They can only see blue/yellow. Not like humans' RGB. 2. They are short sighted. For far away objects, their sight is like a T-Rex, they can see moving objects, not stationary objects. Remain still, and they can't see you. Then again, they can smell you, especially if it's downwind. 3. Their flicker fusion threshold is higher than humans.…

> As well, did you know lights have a flicker? If you think it's bad, it's even worse for dogs which can lead to stress. As someone who notices and gets really tired from the stroboscopic effects of cheap LEDs, I can only imagine how terrible that must be for dogs

I'll take that over florescent any day of the week.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#79

Post by matwood »

RankingMember wrote: post #73
matwood wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had cats over the years, and currently have 1 cat and 3 dogs (my wife is part of a dog rescue). While cats are easier, IMO they do not give the same emotional reward that dogs give. You are absolutely right about understanding the breed and the work a dog requires. It makes my wife and I sad whenever we see someone get a 'cute' working dog puppy that requires proper exercise, and then barely letting it outside 2…

I'd go a step further and say pet insurance is basically a requirement if you want to give your pet a solid existence without needing to hold a big chunk of money in case of emergency. There are few things sadder to me than someone putting an animal down for a fixable issue. WRT cats, I'd argue that perhaps you just haven't met the right cat. :P I've come to think there's an expectation incongruity at play in that pe…

> I'd go a step further and say pet insurance is basically a requirement

No argument here. It's saved me a few times now where sudden very large bills would have been hard to stomach.

> WRT cats, I'd argue that perhaps you just haven't met the right cat.

My original comment was too far on one side. I debated how to say it for a few minutes while writing. I had one cat for almost 17 years and he was awesome. My connection with him was just different than with my dogs. But you're right that it is more different than better or worse.

Re: Dogs’ Eyes Have Changed Since Humans Befriended Them

#80

Post by richjdsmith »

RankingMember wrote: post #75
omni wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This meme of not getting rescue dogs is so harmful and needs to stop. Good adoption agencies will foster the dogs for a while and let you know if the dog actually has behavioral issues. Plenty of them don't. I'm convinced my rescue's previous owner was a little old lady who died or something. He has no issues at all. Every time I look at my amazing rescue dog (my first dog ever) and think about how he was almost put…

Agreed 100%. There's nothing magical about pure bred dogs that makes them behaviorally superior, and furthermore there's a world of breed-specific health issues that come with pure bred dogs, not to mention the difficulty of making sure you're not inadvertently supporting a puppy mill. Any rescue worth their salt will let you do a trial anyways, so if you find out you've got a serial killer on your hands it's not lik…

Dad's a vet and regularly says he's very thankful for the work purebreds provide. If everyone had mutts, there would be a lot less need for vets.
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