Breaking News: Dogs make you more attractive
This week we were intrigued to read about a new survey from online marketplace OnBuy which revealed that 73% of people agree that seeing an animal in an online dating profile picture instantly makes someone more attractive.
Dogs make you look good
The study then went further, asking 4,268 people to ‘pick the specific animals that would increase their likelihood of picking someone with said animal’ in order to ascertain which pets make people more attractive in their online profile picture. The clear winner was dogs.
Dog lover Photo by La Miko from Pexels
So do cats…and farm animals
84% of respondents said that seeing a dog in a profile picture would increase their chances of choosing that person. So, if you include your pup in your online dating pic then you’re going to get a much better chance of a swipe right – and the chances are, they love dogs too, so it’s a win-win situation.
Cat lover Photo by Fang Liu from Pexels
As for the rest, cats came in second with a 76% success rate, followed by horses (72%) cows (70%) sheep (68%) and rabbits (67%). I imagine seeing someone with cows and sheep would indicate that they own a farm and I guess that’s quite attractive if you like that sort of thing. It seems that very few people are put off by the sight of a dog in the picture. I wonder what would happen if you were pictured with all six animals…
Speaking about the results, a spokesperson for OnBuy said:
“Exotic animals aren’t quite as popular with people on dating apps, with tigers and elephants getting a match success rate of 62% and 64% respectively. So next time you think about using a holiday snap of you riding an elephant or posing next to a tiger on your dating profile, think again about the unethical message it may convey to potential partners - such as hunting or animal cruelty.”
I guess this means that although we enjoyed watching tiger trainer Joe Exotic on TV series The Tiger King, we wouldn’t really want to date him.
Sheep lover Photo by FOYN on Unsplash
Snakes – not so hot
Further down the list and proving less popular with prospective partners are guinea pigs with 59% and snakes with 48%. Which means that if you’re pictured with a snake you’re putting off more people than you’re attracting – but perhaps if you love snakes you don’t really want to date anyone that doesn’t like them, so it could be a good way of avoiding any awkward encounters.
OnBuy also looked at whether having an animal in Tinder profile pictures is more appealing to men or women. They found that women are more likely to be impressed by an animal, with 64 per cent admitting it ‘increased appeal’.
Clearly having a dog or cat in your profile is a good conversation starter and for men it means you get to show off the fact that you’re a tender, caring pet-dad. If you don’t have a dog, it may be worth borrowing one for a photo op, in order to increase your allure.
100% hotter - Photo by Freddy Anca Chuquihumaní on Unsplash
Men holding fish
One of the more baffling animals that are frequently featured in online dating photos but not covered by this study are fish. Any woman that uses online dating will generally see many pictures of men holding live fish.
According to evolutionary psychologist David Buss these men may be signalling that they’d be valuable partners — that they have both the ability to provide resources and the tendency to seek resources beyond what’s currently available:
“Resources obtained by the man’s individual efforts are more highly valued than, say, resources that a man lucked into. This also signals industriousness, a work ethic, and is a good cue to long-term provisioning potential.”
Or it could simply be that these are the only photos that they have of themselves. As one fish profile man told The Cut, “I use fish pics because I’m usually happiest in them.”
It’s always better to use unposed, natural looking pictures of you smiling – so if it’s catching a fish that makes you feel like this then it’s probably a good look. And like being pictured with a snake, it also lets potential partners know that this is your hobby and they can either join you or give you some space to indulge in your passion.
Trout pout - Photo by www.raubfisch24.de on Unsplash
Taking that perfect profile pic
If you’re dashing out to take some pictures with your pets as we speak, just remember to act normal, smile naturally and catch both of your best sides. We’ve got a fantastic range of pet grooming equipment to help your pet look like they’ve just stepped out of a salon, ready for your close up! Have you had any experience with pet pics and online dating? We’d love to hear about it – let us know in the comments section below.
Main Photo by Yuliya Strizhkina (Cartier) from Pexels