Dogs, Not Friends, Influence Owners' Dating Choices

rey the cute doggie

I've often said on the radio that I am glad I am happily married because I don't think I have the emotional strength to navigate today's dating scene.

First, there's the dating apps - someone making a judgment call in a single instant.

What I was taught growing up was to go ahead and go out on the date - and judge the person on how they treated the server.

Now, daters face a new challenge: the judgment of dogs.

It turns out that If you want to date a pet parent, you’re going to have to impress the dog first.

A new survey of dog owners shows that the vast majority of them look to their dogs when considering who to date. The dog-walking app Wag’s data found that 77-percent of people agree that how their pet reacts to a new love interest is very important. Most people don't listen to their parents or to a friend's dating advice even close to that strongly.

If their dog isn’t happy with a potential love interest, 50-percent, though, say it’s a deal breaker. About a fourth of people who say they dated someone despite their dog's negative reaction say they would "never make that mistake again."

Wag’s CEO explains why dog owners rely on their pet’s reaction. "A dog's intuition is like no other and I would trust both of my dogs' implicitly when it came to their first impressions of someone."There are some red flags to watch out for according to the survey:

  • Expressing jealousy over the attention dog owners give their pups
  • Playing too rough with the dog
  • Not showing interest
  • Putting the dog in a separate room

Neither Boo nor I had a pet when we met. But we did eventually become cat people. I think Boo approved of my interaction with the cats - even if the cats didn't care!!!!


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