Mary Allen
Numerous relevant love films prove that dogs can be the best matchmakers. But does this saying hold for online dating? A study by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna examined which animals appear particularly often in profile pictures. And one thing can be said right away: the favorites have four legs!
It’s no secret that pets can make great matchmakers. They offer even strangers a good reason for a nice topic of conversation. Before the first real date, dog owners can quite innocently suggest a date at the dog park. Also, people with pets prove that they can take responsibility and are probably good at caring for others. In short: pets could well be taken as a sign that you’ve got a good match. This was also shown by a French study: Men accompanied by a dog were able to get hold of more phone numbers from women than men without a pet. And as the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna proves, this trend is also continuing in online dating.
Animals Rule Tinder
The scientific team led by Christian Dürnberger and Svenja Springer from the Messerli Research Institute examined 2400 Tinder profiles in Vienna and Tokyo. They found that 16 percent of all users showed animals in their profile pictures. In both cities, dogs were the clear favorites among these pet owners at 45 percent. Cats (25 percent), exotic animals (approx. 10 percent), livestock (approx. 6 percent) and horses (approx. 5 percent) followed closely behind. “Our data, therefore, shows that dogs rule the world of online dating animal pictures,” says Dürnberger. “This applies even more to Vienna than to Tokyo.” Female and/or older users from Vienna in particular liked to have their furry friends photographed. “We conclude that above all those animals are shown on a dating profile with which users are in close and frequent contact,” explains Springer.
Selfie With an Animal for a Good Reason
But why do so many people want to present themselves with their pets for online dating? For this purpose, the researchers differentiated between two categories of images: On the one hand, the animal should be established as a close friend and family member – according to the motto “We only come in pairs!”. After all, dog owners don’t want a partner who doesn’t get along with their pet at all. On the other hand, the animals should also underline the character traits of the owners. With a cat in their arms or with a dog while stand-up paddling, people want to present themselves as particularly social or active. Whether such images can also achieve the promised effect must first be investigated in a follow-up study. However, it would be very conceivable.