Rather than chewing them, a huge number of dogs should be wearing glasses

Here’s a thought. What if all the supposedly naughty, disobedient dogs who fail training just have really bad eyesight? I mean, if some kids really need glasses to see and understand the teacher, why wouldn’t puppies?

And so I’ve looked into it. And when you study the research, it turns out that being short sighted (or Myopic) and far sighted is actually quite common in dogs. Really, it’s only the fact we can’t put them through eye tests that stops us from realising they really need glasses. But in case you’re wondering, toy poodles are the most likely to be short sighted, Australian Shepherds far sighted while the trusty Lab most commonly has 20/20 vision. That must be why they never miss the treats!

But excitingly, corrective ophthalmology is now a growing field with some dogs even being fitted with soft contact lenses as a way of providing a band-aid over slow healing corneal ulcers. But one rescue dog called Gremlin has taken it all one step further with proper corrective contacts. According to her owners, Gremlin’s extreme short-sightedness caused her to disconnect with the world around her but since being fitted with contacts, she’s 'more social' and 'has more energy'.

So glasses, contacts and even laser surgery might be the way of the future. In the meantime, poor eyesight might be the best excuse your pet will ever have for running off in the opposite direction when it’s time to leave the park!