Men owning dogs are likely to be luckier in finding love, say studies

Men who own dogs may have better luck in finding love, various studies suggest. It has been observed that men who own dogs appear to be more caring, attractive, happier, empathetic and approachable.

Both women and gay men feel such men can turn out to be loving and caring partners and parents compared to men don't own dogs.

"That's the bottom line message that women get when they see a man with a dog: He's capable of nurturing, of giving without receiving a lot, of caring for another. He's made a commitment to this animal," an expert named Dr Helen Fisher, who is a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute in Indiana and chief adviser to Match.com, was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

"And one thing women have needed for years and years is a partner who could share the load, be responsible, care for them if they're sick and show up on time," Fisher added.

If you have a dog, it shows that you take time out for your pet and follow a schedule to feed it, take it for a walk, play with it and spend your time and energy on it. These are qualities people usually look for in their partners.

Numerous studies on our perceptions about dog-owners have been analyzed, and they support Fisher's statements.

A study was carried out in 1922, in which 34 participants were shown images of people pictured alone or people posing with flowers or with dogs. Participants had to rate these snaps regarding how relaxed and happy the individuals looked in the pictures, how approachable the appeared to be and their best photo.

The people posing with dogs were ranked as merrier and happier compared to people without the canines, a report by Mail Online said.