Finding love is ruff! ‘Dogfishing’ is the latest form of dating app deception – when men BORROW dogs that aren’t theirs to take cute profile pictures
- The Washington Post has named the fake-out ‘dogfishing,’ a twist on the fake identity con ‘catfishing’
- They found that women frequently come across men who pose with dogs that don’t belong to them for their dating profiles
- Several of the women feel deceived and are disappointed to learn the men don’t really have dogs
- One expert suggested women equate the way men treat their dogs with how they’d treat a romantic partner
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there for dating app users — and for some, that apparently means making up a fictional pet to entice potential romantic partners.
These days, anyone trying their hand at online dating knows to be wary of catfishing, when a person creates a fake persona or identity to lure someone else into a relationship.
But now it seems women need to look out for dogfishing, too: According to the Washington Post, that’s when men pose for profile photos with dogs that don’t belong to them.
Furry faker! The Washington Post is exposing ‘dogfishing,’ a twist on ‘catfishing,’ in which men pose with dogs that don’t belong to them for their dating profiles (stock photo)
The paper found several examples of men faking their pet ownership status.
One female dog owner said she’s come across plenty of guys who are pictured with pups that turn out to belong to someone else.
Another, a 30-year-old from Michigan named Gaby Wolff, said pet-related lies have even ended otherwise good dates.
She went out with one guy she met on Hinge and the date went really well. Toward the end, she suggested that for their next date, they go dog walking — and the guy could bring the Labrador in his profile picture.
Things got a bit awkward from there, and the date fizzled out. He later texted her to admit that the dog wasn’t his
Canine blues: Some women feel deceived and are disappointed to learn the men don’t really have dogs (stock photos)
There have also been a few exchanges on the Instagram account @overheardbumble that point to the problem.
When one woman learned the dog in her match’s profile actually lived with his mom, she replied, seemingly with good humor, ‘Well that’s just fake advertising, isn’t it?’
When another woman was asked by a man what she was looking for on that app, she answered, ‘Dogs. I’m looking for dogs.’
The women who spoke to the Washington Post say that ‘dogfishing’ has left them feeling deceived.
Erika Ettin, an online dating coach in Washington, thinks people should stop using other people’s pets in their pictures because it sends the wrong message.
Lies! There have been a few exchanges on the Instagram account @overheardbumble that point to the problem
Science: A survey found that 35 per cent percent of female respondents and 26 per cent of male respondents have been more attracted to someone because they owned a pet
‘That’s the main thing: Stop borrowing dogs,’ she said. ‘It’s just odd when you’re using someone else’s dog online, and it seems like you’re trying too hard.”
‘Sometimes women subconsciously equate things like how a man treats his dog is how he would treat a partner,’ she added.
It makes sense that men would want to use pups in their profile pictures: A 2008 experiment suggested that dogs can make men seem more attractive to women.
And a Match.com and PetSmart survey found that 35 per cent percent of female respondents and 26 per cent of male respondents have been more attracted to someone because they owned a pet.