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Men with Dogs Are Hotter, Study Says

Despite the widespread prevalence of the "cat man," new research shows that women find men with canine companions more attractive than those with feline friends. We spoke with dog owners to get the inside scoop on why Fido has chicks feeling so frisky.
Photo by Mattia Pelizzari, via Stocksy

A recent study of Match.com users revealed that men may be more attractive to women when they're dog owners. The study, titled the Roles of Pet Dogs and Cats in Human Courtship and Dating, finds that the roles that furry beings take in our social and dating lives are still expanding. According to the research, "these dynamics can be situated within broader observations of animal domestication, cross-cultural human–animal interactions, and data on sex differences in human social behavior." But are these findings true beyond Match.com, and could they parallel popular and boring ideas about gender?

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The study included 1,210 respondents. 733—or 60.6 percent—of them were women. According to The New Daily, "Almost all women (97 percent) said they thought a relationship with a dog person could work, whereas a whopping 39 per cent said cat ownership was a relationship deal-breaker."

According to the study's abstract, "Dogs served more commonly as social barometers in the dating arena than cats did." This research is an effort to understand an evolving interplay between human relationships and domesticated animals. "We discuss the findings with respect to changing family profiles, including lower fertility and expanded roles of companion animals as extended kin," the study reads.

Alexis is in his twenties. He and his roommate, Sam, co-own a dog. The two don't have a sexual relationship, but ever since they adopted their pup, Alexis says he finds Sam sexier. "He has really stepped up as a provider and caretaker for the dog," he tells Broadly. When Alexis sees Sam hold the dog, he says he feels safe and cared for. "I also feel more secure in his presence, like he's not gonna bounce on me," Alexis explains. Moments of acute affection, like when Sam presses his lips against the dog's muzzle, can act as a proxy for Alexis' affection toward his friend.

Sometimes, Alexis says, dogs can have the opposite affect on him. Dog ownership might imply "that they already have a pretty fixed routine and lifestyle," which can be a turn off. Like the women in the study, Alexis says No, thank you! to cat owners. He might feel differently if people could keep big cats like sexy pumas or tigers, but as far as the average domesticated feline, it's just not happening. The main reason is that he's allergic, but though he finds the caring aspect of cat ownership and the fuck it all attitude of cats attractive, there's still no comparison to a dog. "I don't find cats sexy per se, but I love them and wish I wasn't so allergic. Dogs I do find sexy in a lot of ways," he explains.

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I don't find cats sexy per se. Dogs I do find sexy in a lot of ways.

Dogs demand a lot from their owners, Alex says, adding, "I know how absentee [a person] can be with a cat." But just because some dogs are hot doesn't mean all canine companions are. "I think like really intricate small dog breeds like pugs are a turn off even if they're cute, because they have basically been bred for total dependence." Alexis further suggests that cats weren't meant to live in close quarters with human beings, though dogs do just fine at our heel. "I think people are generally a little more canine than feline morphologically, so I feel a little more kinship with dogs."

But other young men, like Layne, disagree with Alexis. To him, cats are sexy. "Not just aesthetically, but in terms of reading body language," Layne says. "I've always felt like having cats my whole life has made me a better lover." He's says he's more present and intuitive due to his cat ownership. "You have to really pay attention to those subtle cues, and it could change any moment," he argues. Layne's cats have probably not gotten him laid, he explains, but they've definitely made him more attractive to some people—those who are aroused by his devotion and caregiving to kitties. "Other people think my love for my cats is weird." But not just anybody, Layne says that his kitty critics are typically men–men who have dogs.

I've always felt like having cats my whole life has made me a better lover.

When it comes to potential partners, "If someone else has cats, they love that I'm a cat daddy," Layne says. "If they have dogs, it can go either way but I've found they like to bring up the difference between cats and dogs often." He isn't surprised to hear that the results of this recent study show greater attraction to dog-owning men. "I can see that being a general trend in the larger population," he explains. "I tend to be interested in LGBTQ ppl and alt-girls so that definitely skews things. Cats are more indie." Even dog fan Alexis admits that there's something feminine about cats. Both he and Layne agree that that there's a correlation between a fondness for dogs and heteronotmativity.

Layne says that study findings would probably different for LGBT people. "Cats dominate the internet and so do queers," he says. "I know people who have weird cultural obsessions with cats even though they're allergic, have never had a cat in their life, and don't plan on having cats." Cats, he says, represent marginalized groups. "That's why they were always associated with witches. They're mysterious, it can be hard to get into their heads, they sneak around in the night, and they're very independent."

"Dogs are pretty mainstream," Layne says.