DOG PARKS OVER DATING SITES
Research indicates some women have a soft spot for guys with dogs
Looking for a date? Get a dog.
While Tinder and Bumble will get you an introduction, and so too traditional dating sites, there’s nothing like a dog to do your bidding, says the chief adviser to match.com.
But only if you’re a man. Dogs, and especially cats, are not date bait for women — men are just not as responsive to women with a pet dog as women are to men with a dog, says Helen Fisher. Having a dog puts men at the head of the pack.
“Dog owners in general are seen as happier, friendlier and more caring,” says Fisher, “and for men with dogs, it signals that he is nurturing, compassionate and a good caregiver — much more than a owning cat.”
Fisher, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, has done studies that conclude dogs are good for your love life. So while women look for signals of men’s ability to parent, men are more attuned to signals of fertility in a woman which translate to energy, youthfulness, laughter, good skin, buoyant personality, swooshy hair, bright eyes …
“Both sexes are busy sending the courtship signals that are adaptive and for men, it’s dogs!”
When Michael McNeil walks Max, his Bernese mountain dog, he says he can count on Max getting lots of attention and him getting phone numbers: “It’s like the dog makes me a safe person, and trustworthy.” The 28-year-old single engineer says while out with Max, he’s clicked with more women than on Bumble.
Apparently, there’s love to be leashed.
“A man with a dog is willing to show up and care for the dog, get home to feed it, and has the resources and the willingness to care for a very needy individual,” says Fisher. “It gives a very honest, logical social signal that he’s interested in long-term relationships and children.”
Not only man’s best friend, but a kid’s best friend, too? Fisher adds that interacting with a dog boosts oxytocin levels so expect a guy with a dog to have a highly stimulated oxytocin system making him not only more capable of attaching to the dog, but to you, too.
Studies galore point to Rover’s power of animal attraction, with one study in particular from University of Southern Brittany in France showing how dogs facilitate social interaction — and getting phone numbers from women. In the study, 240 women were approached: when approached by a Frenchman without a dog, his success rate was about one in 10. But when a dog joined him, his chances of getting their phone number more than tripled.
These furry friends sure have benefits! One 2015 study found that social-media profile pictures posing with a pet makes us appear more likable and approachable, while a Dognition survey reports that 82 per cent of people feel more confident approaching an attractive person if they have a dog with them.
And what you have at the end of your leash makes a difference. A puppy or adult Lab gets lots of looks, while a Rottweiler isn’t going to win you any dates.
Hey, if that’s the case, get yourself a Labrador puppy!