Q: We’re concerned that our middle-aged Labrador–German shepherd mix may be nearsighted because he can easily spot his nearby toys but doesn’t see those that are far away. Still, he can always find his blue ball. I thought dogs were colorblind but otherwise had good vision. Please explain. A: While dogs’ smell and hearing are far superior to humans’, their vision isn’t quite as good. Most dogs are nearsighted, which means they see nearby objects clearly, but things in the distance are somewhat blurry. The condition is also called myopia or shortsightedness. The average dog has 20/50 to 20/75 vision, which means he sees at 20 feet what a human with normal vision can see from 50 to 75 feet away. One in four dogs is extremely nearsighted, a condition more common in certain breeds, including collies, English springer spaniels, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, miniature schnauzers, Rottweilers, and toy poodles. …