Does the dog need a light on?

We can't really answer this question without any context (observations) on how the dog reacts in the dark.

Just a fun experiment if you're game. Set up a low light security camera where you dog spends most of the time when no one's around. I suspect... like many dogs, they mostly use their nose to keep an 'eye' out on her or his surroundings.

Then again, I figure maybe an older dog might find a lighted room to be more reassuring if his or her senses are fading due to age. It would be kind of difficult to determine the anxiety of an older dog is caused or partially caused by a dark empty house or apartment.

I suspect that the pupper in question wouldn't really care if a light is on or not. That your husband is projecting how he might feel if he was in the dog's place?

Personally, I'd leave some classical music on for the pupper. Sophisticate that pupper up as much as possible! More Debussy for your puppy!

He is a year old. He seems to be most happy looking out the window and "talking" to the squirrels and birds. This room is perfect for that as it has floor to ceiling doors/windows on one side that faces the back yard. He could even glimpse deer, fox, turkeys and other creatures depending on the time of year.

The only anxiety he seems to have is when we are all home and upstairs and he is down. He won't try to go up the stairs so he just sits there and cries.

We have played music for him on hotel stays more to keep him from barking and bothering others - he isn't much of a barker unless he is being tortured by a squirrel invading his yard and he can't get to him.

it really depends on the animal - they're individuals with individual preferences

some like lights
some like radio
some like to watch tv

I've never left a dog home alone without at least one room with a light on, and one room with a radio on

Have you considered Prozac? Vets have prescribed that and other medication to calm overly anxious dogs. Just a suggestion.

Leave a light on - for the humans I’ve tripped over a sleeping dog before.

The dog isn’t anxious my husband just thinks he needs a light on when it gets dark.

Well, dogs are entitled to a certain amount of courtesy, too.

... And he needs music playing or a calming voice in the background. I was going to add a heating blanket but he has no arthritis so I passed on that part.

Dogs spend most of their time sleeping, so a radio station with instrumental music might be nice. I wouldn't go for the head-banger music, though.

Seriously, the thing most likely to make a dog anxious is being alone. They hate that. Two dogs are good, or a situation in which someone is home with them for much of the day is good. But if they're used to being alone, and show no signs of anxiety because of it, I'd say there's nothing to worry about.

He prefers to sit and look out the window at the birds and squirrels rather than the TV.

He is a bit of a crazy dog -- as he the way he runs around and plays -- but he is pretty easy going at the same time in other words he bounces back pretty quick

Like when we went to the vet last week where he got blood drawn and a couple of shots. He cried like a baby even before a needle touched him. But once it was over and they put him down on the ground he began wagging his tail and running and jumping all around happy again.