how well can a dog see in pitch dark?

Question

My back yeard gets pitch black until moon comes around after midnight.
I can't see my white long hair chiuaua when he goes out for before bad time potty.
Can he see around? or is he just smell his way around?
Oh, my night light has been out lately...

Answer 1

=We searched on "can dogs see in the dark" and then pawed through the Dogs category in the Yahoo! Directory to shed some light on this issue. What did we learn? You and your husband need that nightlight a whole lot more than your furry friend does.
Dogs have excellent night vision, a trait crucial to their predatory ancestors. The minimum threshold of light dogs require for vision is about five or six times lower than that of humans. So your pooch won't be stumbling around in the dark if you don't leave a light on for him.

Unlike our eyes, a dog's eyes are designed to function well in low-light conditions. Both canines and humans (and many other animals) have two types of light-sensitive cells in the retina called rods and cones. These cells respond to light and process visual information, which is transferred to the brain for interpretation. Rods work best in dim light and can detect motion. Cones are used in bright light to detect color and details.

The retinas of dogs are dominated by rods, allowing them to see very well with very little light. They can also sense small motions, which helps make them good hunters. However, dogs have about one-tenth of the cones that humans do, so they don't see color in the same way we do.

Answer 2

you think it is pitch dark, but there is a small amount of light. Different animals have different abilities to see in little light. I believe your dog can see enough to get around, but certainly not like in daylight.

Answer 3

I think they use the scent to guide them. They do it even with daylight.

Answer 4

yea i think so