For all the joys and swoons puppies bring us — cuddles, happy licks, and cute sleeping positions — our four-legged buddy also has some nice pick-up abilities.
Approaching that cute stranger in the guise of befriending and patting their equally cute pup is one way to introduce yourself to a potential match. However, that puppy effect seems to work online, too, and dogs may be the key to romantic success online. At least that’s what new data from several studies show.
Polyamorous relationships with dog lovers
How to determine among all users of dating sites people who have enough love for a partner and pets? One way is to look at the polyamory section.
Polyamory is a serious thing, and people think of it not as a one-time hobby but as a lifestyle. Hence, various agreements for a long time are also important, such as agreements about possible pregnancies, children, and pets. Responsibility and commitment are often among the qualities of users of the best poly dating sites.
So feel free to choose the appropriate search filters and look for confirmation among the photos in the profiles you like!
The Bumble dog badge
Bumble allows users to add certain badges to indicate their interests. And in new research conducted by the platform, 30% of users, mostly men, proudly display the dog badge on their profiles.
In addition, more than 100,000 Australian Bumble profiles mention dogs in their profile bios — whether they want a date a dog person or a dog owner themselves, the mention of dogs seems to help them increase their chances of finding a date.
In fact, dog pictures on Bumble provided 22% more matches and 30% more total interactions for women, while men with their dogs received 45% matches and 39% more total interactions.
Most OkCupid and Tinder users are dog lovers
While most people disagree on numerous topics, dogs’ love is something that we often see eye-to-eye on.
Research by OkCupid found that 80% of women and 84% of men either want to have a dog or already have one. In addition, the platform has millions of dog mentions, with users mentioning dogs having a higher probability of initial conversations and reply rate.
Tinder, on the other hand, is considered the best dating app to meet other dog lovers. Tinder users respond well to photos that include animals, with around 10% of both women and men including their dogs in their snaps.
In fact, for Tinder users, men received 30% more matches while women got 117% more matches when they included a dog in their pictures.
The Honest Paws survey
A recent survey of 600 single people on U.S. dating apps by Honest Paws, shows dog ownership dramatically increases the possibility of getting a match. Seventy percent of respondents think that including their dog in their profile pic helps them receive more matches, while 60% are tempted to match with someone who poses with a pup in their profile photo.
An expert at Romantic even claimed that men posing with their pets are considered trustworthy, committed, and charming and are more likely matched and approached.
In addition, it seems like you can get a virtual date when you include your dog. Fifty-two percent of the respondents said they want to meet a potential match’s dog and participate in a virtual date only if a four-legged third party also participates.
Be wary of “dogfishing”
It’s no doubt that studies and surveys confirm our love for the fluffy, four-legged creature and in upping our romantic and partner-searching game. However, that Tinder photo of a seeming caring and nice guy posing with his lovable best friend might not be everything it seems.
A survey by OnePoll on behalf of the “I and love and you” brand shows that 39% of respondents only borrowed a friend’s pooch to take a nice picture for their dating profile.
But do so at your peril because 53% of those who matched with the fraudsters were “very upset” when finding out that the adorable dog was only used as a prop.
Yes! Add dog photos to your dating profile
And there you have it, single people! As you can see, roughly the entire population of users in the online dating world loves those cute wagging tails, tongues sticking out, and the fluffy, soft coats that are so adorable and huggable!
So, kickstart your photoshoot and include your charming dog for some swipe-right-worthy pics to your dating profile.