Love Me, Love My Dog

I told my boyfriend long ago that, while dinner on our anniversary as well as Xmas and b’day presents are a must, I really don’t give a crap about Valentine’s Day. So, come Feb. 14th, no chocolates, no roses, no romantic nights in or out – he’s got a bye.

But I am aware that not everybody feels that way. Many couples view Valentine’s as a time to celebrate or renew their love; singles just sit around and feel neglected (I know – I was single for what seemed like forever).

I’m glad Rob and I didn’t have to find each other through an online app. If we did, though, I now know the best way for me to connect to the opposite sex, thanks to a survey of 600 Canadians recently conducted by premium dating site EliteSingles.

Apparently, all you need is a pet – preferably a dog. A whopping 60% of singles said that owning a pet makes someone appear more attractive and, at 73% versus 11%, dog owners are seven times more preferred to cat owners. (Of course, you can always hedge your bet by owning both, as I do.)

More interesting findings:

68% of singles think that posing with a pet in a dating profile picture is extra attractive.
71% thinking that it’s attractive to talk about a love of pets or animals in a written profile.
79% say how someone treats their pets can predict how they’ll act in a relationship.

Just as interesting is the fact that 83% of dog owners – nearly double that of cat owners – would break up with a partner who did not like their canine companion, and 32% would end a relationship if their dog did not like their partner.

One thing the survey neglected to ask is what a dog owner would do if their pet happened to like their partner more than they did their parent. I know my Neddy has feelings for me, but whenever Rob comes over, that poodle does cartwheels. Good thing I’m not the jealous type.