Dogfishing: is That Date Using a Pup to Get Your Attention?

you could say that online dating has gotten quite “ruff” with so many people posting photos on their dating profiles of themselves with dogs these days.Now, any number of these photos could be simply products of folks genuinely loving their dogs. But, you’ve got to wonder how many of these are instead “fishy” attempts to lure you in via a practice that’s been dubbed “dogfishing.”

What Is ‘Dogfishing’

Yep, dogfishing has become a thing in the dating world. The term is a play on the word “catfishing,” which is when people set up fake online personas to reel you in for love, sex, entertainment, manipulation, money, or some other purpose. Dogfishing is a bit different. There’s still the “reel you in” thing, but rather of using something fake, dogfishers use real dogs. Dogfishers may deliberately include dogs on their dating profile photos,mention dogs in their dating bios-that’s the dating bios of the humans and not the dogs- or feature dogs prominently in any messages sent to you to help their dating cause.

Dogfishing can occur in person-or perhaps in dog-too. This can consist of bringing dogs along to different venues like local parks, supermarkets, restaurants, or parties. Dogfishers can then use these “wing-dogs” at such places to help doggedly pursue potential dates.Again, what separates dogfishing from earnestly including a dog in activities is the intent: the deliberate use of dogs to get dates.

Why Do People ‘Dogfish’

So why might humans do their dating pursuits so doggie-style,so to speak? Well,dogfishers may believe that:

• Their dogs are adorable enough to catch your eye: While the humans themselves may not be able to stand out among hundreds of same-old,same-old dating profiles,maybe the dogs will get your attention. You may even say, “Gee, I would really like to meet that dog,” and as the dog didn’t leave any contact info on the dating profile, you’d have to go through the human.
• If you have warm feelings for dogs, then you’ll have warm feelings for their humans: