Dating by dog?

Looking for human love but been struggling with meeting people or use dating apps, you paw thing?

Tinder’s great for a good time, Bumble lets ladies choose, and there are so many more online platforms for finding romance, but something’s definitely missing. Whether you’re using Wi-Fi or Real Life, finding human love just isn’t as easy as falling for a dog, is it?

What if you get on great but you find out on the third date that your milkshake mate is super-allergic to your Great Dane?

You may like someone’s profile pic and tagline, but you still need to find out how warm and open they are, right?

Pizza and beer might not be the best way to test these questions against sexy singles in your circle. But if your dog could do the screening for ya? It might be an entirely different tale when you include your snouty friends in the screening process.

Why dating via doggie can work

Whether you’re looking for love or something less, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they treat animals.

Are they gentle? Can they keep healthy boundaries? What are they like when things get, uhm, heated? A pooch can help you read this in the man or woman you’re interested in within a few minutes.

That’s because:

• People relax around pets and let their defences down.
• You can see how they treat the vulnerable (which is important if you decide to invest emotionally).
• Awkward animal situations will arise. Which lets you get a sense of their humour and tolerance. And breaks the ice nicely. Or stinkily.

Just friends, pet?

It doesn’t have to be a serious hunt, of course. You can use your best furry friend to find new friends. But back to the dating game assisted by your favourite four paws…

How to pooch-screen a potential partner

1. Use a profile pic including your doggle on Insta and Facebook and look for people in your circle who publish pics of their pets.
2. Mention your doggie early on in chats to gauge responsiveness.
3. Use a dating service that includes dogs.
4. Ask hotties in the park about their pets – easy conversation starter!
5. Greet sweet dogs in public – you never know who you might meet…
6. Suggest a date that includes Rufus. Lots of hip cafes let you bring your dogs along these days.

Online platforms for dog lovers

Twindog

Twindog’s call-to-action is “find other dogs and their owners”.  With dogs front and centre, the dating landscape can seem a lot less daunting. Relax and get real about the dogs you adore.

Download Twindog for iPhone

Dig

The nuanced “dig”, “really dig” or “pass” trumps dating apps that either okay or reject. A match might be better if it’s platonic, after all. You can find people with or without pets, and it includes dog-friendly dating ideas as well as a profile for your pooch.

Download Dig for iPhone

Sniffr

This is a canine-friendly, Tinder-type app where users are encouraged to include their dogs. Stop wasting time rifling through multiple profiles with no pooches in them! Four paws forward!

Honourable mention: Barkbuddy

Barkbuddy is a slightly different kind of dating app. It’s about finding homeless pooches a new family.  We wanted to mention it because it’s another amazing example of the way tech supports animals in need all over the world.

Download BarkBuddy for iOS

Download BarkBuddy for Android

So now you’re set. And remember, it’s not luck or even balls you need. When you connect with someone through your passions, love flows in all its forms… the balls might help if Rufus is not really in the mood to be your chaperone, though, obvs…