Whether you leave a light on for your pet will very much depend on your dog and what they have become used to.  Social dogs often don’t like to be left alone in the dark whilst others don’t really mind.

Should I Leave Lights On For My Dog When I’m Out?

Many pet owners leave the TV, radio, or lights on for their pets while they are away from home. Commons reasons to use a pet light include keeping the animal calm, giving them a sense of company, or helping them to see.

Some dog owners say that their pets are afraid of the dark. This will only apply to a small number of dogs, but there is an easy way to tell if your dog is afraid of the dark. If they are more startled by outside noises during the night than they are during the day, then there is a good chance that they are afraid of the dark. Add this factor with being alone in the house and you may have quite an unhappy chum!

Although some owners leaves lights on for their dogs to see in the dark, it is true that dogs have much better vision in low light than humans. This is because of a part of their eyes called the tapetum, which makes them far more reflective. This gives the retina a second chance to absorb light.

Just because they can see well in low light however, doesn’t mean that they can see in pitch black. If there is no light whatsoever in your home at night, then your dog may well have trouble seeing. They have good memories however, and will probably be able to navigate through the house even without being able to see very much, (just don’t move any furniture before you leave the house!)

Do dogs need a light on at night?

One concern about leaving lights on is disrupting the dogs sleeping pattern. Wolves are the ancestors of the domesticated dog, which were of course nocturnal. This means that lights shouldn’t stop your dog from being able to sleep, but it might be an idea to consider leaving some of the house in darkness for them.

There is no steadfast answer to this question, and it depends very much on your own pet. Other factors to consider are the power savings from leaving the lights off, (although one burglary would probably more than wipe out a lifetime of energy savings), and the increased security benefits of leaving some lights on during the night. You know your pet better than anyone else so experiment with different lighting conditions and see what you think he or she responds to best.

Many people don’t like to leave lamps on though as they are prone to being knocked over and causing a fire risk.  so if you do want to leave a light on, a good solution is to invest in a timer for your main lights so the lights can come on when it gets dark, saving you money whilst keeping the dog happy.