It turns out that taking selfies with your dog makes you more attractive—at least in the eyes of those browsing your profiles on social media or dating sites.
This was confirmed by a new survey initiated by American veterinarians and published on Veterinarians.org. The survey revealed that having a dog in your photos draws more attention and makes your image more appealing, particularly to fellow animal lovers. And there are plenty of them out there.
According to Newsweek, the survey included 600 single residents of the U.S. A striking 63 percent of respondents indicated they were more likely to like a profile featuring someone with a dog and would consider that person’s profile on a dating app.
Additionally, 47 percent of those surveyed stated they were more attracted to individuals who own dogs compared to those who don’t. Among this group, 70 percent confirmed that selfies with their dogs helped them receive more likes indicating mutual interest on their profiles. Half of the respondents admitted they intentionally used such photos to connect with someone they liked. In other words, a canine companion can play an active role in bringing two lonely hearts together.
Dating expert Maria Sullivan explained these survey results by noting that pet photos can signal positive qualities in their owners—potential partners.
She believes that dog lovers are often perceived as kind, caring, compassionate, patient, responsible, and generally pleasant individuals. Most people desire to see this set of qualities in their future partner.
The idea is that if someone demonstrates these traits in their everyday life while caring for a pet, there’s a good chance those same traits will also be present in their relationships with partners.
Deciding to adopt a pet, especially a dog, involves financial, time, and emotional commitments. At the same time, this choice can indicate that a person is capable of giving love to someone else, Sullivan noted.
It’s no surprise that 20 percent of respondents admitted they would be willing to borrow a dog from a friend to attract potential romantic interests. However, the expert cautioned that honesty is crucial in such matters, as any deception could come at a high cost.
How to Catch the Attention of a Dog Owner
If you want to charm a dog lover, you should ask them as many questions as possible about their furry friend. This is the belief of experts from the dating app Hinge.
The thing is, for many dog owners, their pet is a central part of their daily life. After all, they see themselves and their animal as a unit.
By showing genuine interest in your potential partner’s dog, you might even suggest that the pet join you on a date. And if the dog takes a liking to you, that will significantly impact your future relationship. Experts note that dogs often serve as indicators of budding relationships: they show whether their owner should feel safe with a new person.
Now, psychologists need to determine whether cats play a similarly pivotal role in their owners’ lives.