Should you post a Dating profile Photo with your Pet in it?
That photo with you and your pooch or adorable kitty might be hurting more than it’s helping. Your Los Angeles matchmaker, Julie Ferman recommends yanking that photo.
I rarely see a relationship that either makes it or flops because of a pet or lack of a pet. In my dating consultations with matchmaking and dating coaching clients, we tend to look at lots of photos together to get a real sense of what this person finds to be attractive and also what’s off-putting. I’m watching my client’s face to see the instant reactions that tell me so much.
I’m surprised how often I see both men and women being instantly turned off by “pet photos” – some who’ve never had pets, or who don’t currently have a pet and resist the notion of being tied down by an animal at home. A big, strong, masculine guy will often cringe when he sees a photo of a woman who’s loving on her Maltese, and I watched a woman recoil instinctively when she saw a photo of a handsome man with his Doberman.
Today’s single love seekers are having enough trouble finding potential candidates who might qualify for the role of Mate, so let’s not give them one more reason to dismiss you. So often I see two people who’ve fallen in love making all kinds of accommodations to incorporate each other (and the kids, extended family and pets) into a shared life together.
One of the 1100+ happy couples I’ve introduced to each other almost didn’t meet, because he’s got cats and she’s allergic to them. Fortunately, we agreed that there were enough commonalities that we should move forward with the introduction. They’re happy together today, years later, in a creative living situation wherein they converted the garage to his office, where the cats also live. The house is a cat free zone, and all is well for the two of them, and the dog he’d never imagined having.
Pets can be such an enriching part of our lives, especially when we’re single and don’t have a human to love on every day. Just be sure you’re not letting your pet get in the way of your romantic future. Best to introduce the pet after you’ve got something really cooking with another human.
If you’re single and would much rather be in love, be sure to get registered privately with me, your LA matchmaker, so that I can find you when I’m searching for my matchmaking clients in Los Angeles, Ventura County, throughout the U.S., Canada and beyond.
