5 Ways A Pet Affects Your Dating Life

“He doesn’t bite, I don’t either.”
“Yeah, he’s vaccinated and so am I. Want to walk our dogs together?”
“Yes, my dog is a rescue. But it looks like you’re here to rescue me.”
“Come over, my dog’s sleeping in the cutest way possible.” 

Okay, maybe you can come up with better pick-up lines, but the point here is that having pets gives us a whole new avenue in our dating life. Think about it, nobody’s going to come to compliment your shoes or that new dress you bought randomly, right? But when you have a dog by your side, it’s a different story. 

If you’re walking your dog around, strangers might randomly approach you, in an attempt to try and pet your pooch (no, we don’t mean that in a dirty way). 

Apart from just getting you a few dates, your pet might just be able to get you out of a couple of bad ones as well. If your date greets you with a “You look interesting, unlike your dating profile!” on the first date, you’re already thinking of ways to get out of it. And what better way than to abruptly say, “I have to feed Fido, bye,” and bolt out of there? 

Let’s take a look at how a pet might affect your relationship/dating life. Is your cat/dog the purrfect wingman? Can they help you find somepawdy to love? Will you find someone to listen to the Bark Side Of The Moon with? (Okay fine, we’ll stop with the puns) 

1. Your dating profile will be the belle of the ball

We took to Reddit for this one, and asked how people perceive pets in someone’s dating app. Reddit user Siegure9 said, “[having photos of pets on a dating profile] Is probably the reason I get half the likes I get.”

Sunflower_runner213 claims “As a dog owner (I have 2 rescues), I feel it’s important to include a picture or 2 as it’s a package deal of sorts. My schedule revolves around my dogs and I want to be transparent from the start.” 

In a survey of 600 US singles, 63% admitted that they’re tempted to match with someone who has a dog on their dating profile. However, guys may need to be careful with the pet they pick. In a recent survey, heterosexual women were asked to judge pictures of men with cats in contrast to men without cats, and most women preferred men without cats. 

If you’re a guy who’s a cat person, try sticking with your bright smile and charisma to get those “it’s a match!” pop-ups. Or, you know, just be like the rest of us and adopt a dog.

Related Reading: Can Having A Dog Enhance Your Relationship? Woof!

2. Your relationships will become pawsome

Not only have studies claimed that oxytocin rushes in our bloodstream when we interact with our pets, but studies also claim that couples who own a pet together tend to have a stronger bond than couples who don’t. Multiple studies have shown us that your existing relationships can benefit from having a pup (or even a chicken) running around in the house. Try to ignore the neverending fur that you’re always going to find attached to every single piece of clothing you own or will own in the next decade, however. 

Pets will teach you two how to work as a team, bring you closer together and how to divide responsibility when you’re both fighting about whose turn it is to pick the pets’ poop up. PS, if you do get a pup in the house, try and lock your door when you’re doing the nasty. Pets don’t offer much personal space, if you catch my drift. 

3. Not that you need it, but a pet increases your likability

Imagine this: you’re jogging outside, it’s a little late at night and you see someone walking/jogging toward you. Unless they’re a psychopath, they’re going to put their head down and jog right past you, right? 

Now imagine you’re walking in the same scenario, but with a dog by your side. Unless the person approaching you has an agenda against cute things, they’re most likely going to stop and pet your dog or at least give you a look. Don’t just take our word for it, though, studies claim you’re a lot more approachable when you have a pooch to your side. 

So the next time you go to a job interview, consider taking your pet along. We’re just kidding, of course, please don’t be one of the interviewees from hell that we all read about on LinkedIn. Taking your pooch to a first date, on the other hand, has to be the best move out there. If you can deal with the jealousy of your pet getting all the attention from your date, that is.

4. All that fetch will fetch you 6 pack abs 

Okay, you might not get swole overnight, but your overall health will definitely improve. Studies have found that new dog owners substantially increase their recreational walking habits, and that they make a faster recovery from stressors. 

Being healthy can have multiple benefits for your dating life, be it feeling confident in your skin, actually uploading pictures of yourself on your dating app profiles, or just being a LOT better in bed *wink*. 

Related Reading: This Is How Your Breakup Affects Your Pet: A Dog’s Point Of View

5. Nobody is skeptical of a pet-owner

This one works especially well for men. In a survey of 1210 people conducted by the dating website, Match.com, it was found that heterosexual women tend to judge potential male partners on the basis of how they interact with their pet. 

Positively interacting with a pet may make you seem more trustworthy, reliable and approachable. It displays the quality of being a better caretaker and a dependable person. We doubt having a pet fish you feed once a day is going to make much of a difference though. 

When you have a pet by your side, there’s really no need to be worried about any faux-paws (sorry!) on your date. Just make sure you get your furball of joy on your coffee date, dressing well is a bonus. Nobody’s really going to be looking at you when your adorable pup is resting by your table, though. 

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