walking dog with flashlight question...

[junmae]

sorry this is kind of a silly question but...is it ok to walk your dog with a flashlight with 120 lumens. I am always afraid I will hurt my dogs eyes so i just use my weakest flashlight I own.

 

[Tony Hanna]

My suggestion is to watch your dog's behavior. If the light is causing him pain then you should notice him blinking, closing his eyes, or otherwise trying to avoid it. I think I remember reading that a dog's eyes are less sensitive to light than a human's but I wouldn't swear to it.

 

[blasterman]

My cats will chase my 40mW green laser pointer in the daytime, but at night, they'll usually just rub their eyes and run away from it. After realizing why I now use a much lower powered laser at night.

If you were to shine your LED into your dogs eyes at night, and then toss a frisbee across a busy road, chances are he'd go after it because his eyes would still be adjusting from the bright light. So, if you don't regularly shine your R2 into your dog's face at night from 5 feet away and then immediately distract him, I don't think there's a problem here.

Remember, it's not the total lumens from LED...it's the fact it's coming from such a tiny source.

 

[Oddjob]

I tend to move my light around when I walk my dog so I don't like the idea of a lot of light going in and out of mine and my dogs field of vision. I also find using too high a level I have a harder time seeing outside of my illuminated area. I prefer to use a lower floodier light when walking my dog.

 

[junmae]

thanks guys, really helpful I appreciate the replies.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

I know nothing of dogs, but what if there was a color that their nightvision is less sensitive to, like red? and you could use some gels cut and fitted to your flashlight?

 

[ddawg16]

Just pop a diffuser cone over the head.....you still get the light you want...people can see you and it shouldn't bother the dog.

Besides red, you can get green, orange, yellow and white....you will typically find them at uniform supplies....you know, where cops go to get most of their gagets....

 

[lingpau]

Hi! I walk my dog every night. I use a multiple mode light. I keep it on low when I am lighting the path and high only when I am looking across a field at a deer or to see distant objects. Its not a good idea to shine a 120 lumen light at an object right in front of you or into any creatures eyes up close. No reason to use more light than you need for the job. Things just get washed out in the brightness and some lights can hurt your eyes.