A savvy singleton who has had enough of Tinder disappointments has added her adorable puppy to her profile to help her find a suitable match.
Ellen Barr says she has wasted countless nights sifting through profiles and swiping right only to be disappointed.
Now the 26-year-old is hoping that her black Labrador pup Dolly – named after country singing legend Dolly Parton – will be able to spot the right dates.
Since adding the pooch’s picture in January 2022, Ellen, of Wandsworth, south west London, says she has had fewer lewd replies focused on her looks and more enjoyable personal chats, as her four legged friend has been a conversation starter.
Optimistic that she will soon be enjoying long, muddy walks with Dolly and the man of her dreams, she said: “So far, I’ve not gone beyond casual dating online, and I think it’s difficult.
“You get some horrors online dating, and I have received a lot of unwanted advances. And you spend a lot of time trying to figure out if someone is being genuine or not.
“But I think having a dog in your pictures really helps to vet the men you’re matching with, because it gives them a chance to talk about something other than physical attraction.”
She added: “If I saw someone with a dog in their picture, I’d definitely swipe right.
“And you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals and how they feel about them.”
Ellen has been using dating apps on and off for a number of years, but sadly none of the dates have ever led to anything more.
She says the issue is that dating apps do not allow the natural chemistry to flow in the way it would if you struck up conversation with someone you were attracted to in a bar.
She said: “I’ve been in two serious relationships and neither were with people I’d met online.
“I’ve dated people I’ve met online casually, but it’s never been more.”
She added: “Modern dating is just so impersonal. So many people are trying to find someone and I don’t find it very natural to meet people online. It’s a catalogue of strangers, and it’s shallow by nature.
“When you meet, you already know you’re a bit attracted to each other because you swiped right, so it feels like there isn’t much room for sparks to fly naturally.
“But if you met someone in the airport or at a bar it would be more exciting.”
Two days before Christmas last year, Ellen adopted Dolly from a family friend.
And she has already worked her animal magic to become an important part of Ellen’s life – meaning any man she meets will have to receive Dolly’s wag of approval.
Feeling confident that adding her dog to her profile picture will attract men she has more in common with, she started online dating again in January and saw the number of matches rise considerably.
She said: “I was always going to put my puppy on Tinder, and she’s been a big conversation starter.
“Having her as part of it all has definitely made things more interesting.
“Also, she’s such a big part of my life, it’s important that anyone I date knows about her. And she helps me weed out the wrong people.”
Ellen’s experience ties in with research by Rover.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for loving pet care.
It revealed that dogs make the best wingmen for dating, with over half of singletons with pets confessing to using their hounds in their dating profile, to increase their odds of drawing a potential match.
And Labrador retrievers like Ellen’s ranked as the second most likely breed to attract a positive reaction.
Ellen said: “At one point, every single message I could see had a reference to Dolly.
“The fact is that if you can get a good conversation going about the dog, it breaks down that initial barrier.
“I think it’s nice to be able to talk about something that’s not just to do with looks, too.”
Finding that online dating can be scary for a woman, because of timewasters who send shocking messages or pictures, Ellen says spotting red flags early on can save both time and grief – and Dolly has helped her to detect some of these straight away.
She said: “People who don’t love dogs are the first red flag. I’m an easy going person and if you’ve got a dog, you will get hair on you and mud, too, when you go out.
“Because of this, I need to find someone who is ok with this. I need someone who is fine about being windswept. I need to know they’re chilled about it all.”
She added: “Before having Dolly, I’d be spending so much more time trying to find out if I was compatible with a man I’d seen online.
“Now, I know I don’t trust people who don’t love dogs, so that’s a massive red flag straight away.”
Luckily, one of Cupid’s arrows may already be on target for Ellen, who recently enjoyed a successful date with a man who joked that he was disappointed Dolly was unable to join them on their cocktail extravaganza.
She said: “I think if people are willing to talk about things like my dog and subjects other than attraction, then it helps to vet them.
“It’s so much better to feel that dates are not looking for something sleazy and are trying to get to know you.”
Now Ellen is feeling hopeful as far as romance is concerned for 2022 and says Dolly can look forward to a nice meal as a reward if she does find Mr Right.
She said: “I’m feeling hopeful about 2022.”
She added: “I’m not urgently looking for a long-term relationship, but I think I’ll be able to find someone and it would be a bonus if I find a nice dog friendly pub, so Dolly can come, too.
“If I find Mr Right because of her, she will get a tasty reward.”
* Rover is offering a £20 credit for new users looking to engage its services. Download the app or visit www.rover.com/uk and use the code PUPPYLOVE£20 to find a pet sitter or walker.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea
