Dating Goes To The Dogs: Matchmaking For You And Your Pet

Have the neighborhood children ever mistaken your home for a zoo?

A) Start charging for entry, because you might as well be making some cash off your tendency to horde animals.

B) Join a dating site designed for pet lovers, so that one day the human-animal balance in your household won’t be tipped quite so far in the animals’ favor.

There are dating sites based on religion, ethnicity, financial status, occupation, and political preferences, so it was really only a matter of time before someone created a dating site for you and your furry friends. The idea is exactly the same: by pairing people with shared interests, you increase the odds of emotional connection and lifestyle compatibility. Having a theme to your search can add a sense of purpose, and make that haystack you’re looking for a needle in more relevant and more appealing.

It also makes for an easy icebreaker. Bring your adorable pooch on your first date, and you’ve already got a built-in conversation starter to get things going. Date doesn’t love your pet as much as you do? Then there’s a good chance they won’t be a good fit for your life, and you’re better off knowing that sooner rather than later.

Still, not all dating experts are on board with the idea of puppy love that involves actual puppies. “When you consider how challenging it already is to find someone who offers what you are seeking in a romantic partner, and who seeks what you are offering, and where there is also mutual chemistry, and the timing is right … you have to wonder who in their right mind would want to make it even more challenging by insisting on canine chemistry,” says Trish McDermott, who spent 10 years as the dating expert and spokeswoman for Match.com.

If you’re in the camp that thinks it’s hard enough to begin a new romance without the added pressure of using your pooch to assess compatibility, stick to traditional dating sites. But if you’re the “Love me, love my dog” type, there are plenty of dating sites available to match you and Fido with someone who will fall in love with you both.

PetsDating is one of the biggest dating sites designed for you and your pet. There’s also DateMyPet.com, YouMustLoveDogsDating.com, PetPeopleMeet.com, MatchmakerPet.com, and the bluntly named LoveMeLoveMyPets.

Long walks in the (dog) park are only a click away.