Men with small dogs find it easier to win women's hearts, here's why

A small dog can help a man in a big way when it comes to win the heart of a woman. For long, this strategy had been using in dating apps. With a latest study, the tactic has been approved by academics.

A study by scientists from the University of Jaen in Spain has found that a cute little dog can really help men to get a date with a woman. The reason behind this is that women view these men as less intimidating and threatening than when alone. They also feel safer, calmer and more in control when with those men.

Researchers recruited 300 women and showed them various photos of men and women either on their own or with a small- or medium-sized dog. They also hired a male and female actor, and borrowed a wire-haired dachshund and a Portuguese podengo-like mixed-breed to be the small- and medium-sized dogs, respectively.

As part of the study, the picture of a person with or without a dog was shared with respondents, with the animal on a lead and the human’s face pixelated.

Later, women were asked to imagine they were alone and the person, with or without a dog, in the photo was walking towards them. For each image, they rated how they felt about the situation.

The study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, revealed that women felt more comfortable when there was a dog in the picture, and the link was stronger with smaller dogs.

Responses showed that a dog made them feel more comfortable, and this link was stronger in smaller dogs than medium-sized ones.

“When actors were accompanied by medium- or small-sized dogs, they elicited more positive reactions than when they were alone. Specifically, participants felt more positive (i.e. more valence), more in control (i.e. more dominance), calmer (i.e. less arousal), and safer when they observed urban public scenes containing a dog," scientists were quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

“Our results are significant as they show that dog presence (regardless of dog size) affects emotional reactivity and sense of safety."

The study also revealed that positive dog effect was powerful enough in urban public spaces than in a leafy suburb.