Pablo, a dog trainer known on TikTok under the account @lunaticos_dogtraining, is warning pet owners that dogs face the same retina damage risk as humans if they look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse.
People preparing for an eclipse typically use certified filters and special glasses to protect their eyes, but owners often forget that their dogs are exposed to the same environmental risks, Pablo said.
The hidden risk to canine eyesight
Pablo said dogs can also suffer retina damage if they look directly at the sun during an eclipse. He said a dog's eye structure is extremely sensitive to the ultraviolet and infrared light released during these events, meaning canine physiology offers no immunity from intense solar radiation.
According to Pablo, the danger lies in the nature of the eclipse itself. As the event unfolds, ambient light drops, which can confuse a dog's natural instincts. On a normal sunny day, the sun's brightness is uncomfortable enough that a dog instinctively avoids looking up, but an eclipse disrupts that protective response.
Why dogs may stare longer at the sun during an eclipse
The most concerning point Pablo raised is the absence of an immediate defensive reaction in dogs. He said the real problem is that a dog could keep staring upward for longer, because the light during an eclipse would not bother it as much as normal sunlight. That drop in visual discomfort, he said, is effectively a biological trap.
Pablo said that if owners plan to go out and watch the eclipse with their dogs, they should stop the animals from staring directly at the sun, or simply not take them outside at all during the event.
Even though a dog may not feel the need to look away because of the lower apparent light intensity, the radiation remains just as damaging to its eye cells, Pablo said. He was blunt that just because the sun bothers a dog less does not mean it is safe to look at it. That false sense of security, he said, can lead to serious vision damage, since a dog guided by curiosity at an unusually dark sky could fix its gaze on the solar disc for a prolonged period.
Keeping dogs safe indoors
Pablo's recommendation is total prevention. He advised keeping dogs indoors, with blinds lowered or in a room without direct visual access to the sky, calling it the most sensible way to protect an animal's wellbeing during the eclipse. That removes any risk of the dog being tempted to watch the phenomenon out of curiosity or by copying its owners.
Pablo said the responsibility for protecting animals that do not understand the danger falls entirely on their owners. He said the goal is for people to enjoy the astronomical event while making sure their dogs enjoy other things in a safe, controlled setting.
Pablo said the risk is not worth the experience of taking a dog outside during the minutes of partial or total darkness. He closed with a stark warning: a look at the sun can last seconds, but the damage to the retina will last forever.
