13 Reasons Why Guys Who Have Dogs Make The Best Boyfriends

Because, come on. If you don't squeal over a wobbly puppy, you don't have a heart.

Updated 11 years ago, May 22, 2014

1. They’re loyal.

Any guy who gets a pet is in that relationship for the long haul — but chances are good a guy with a dog is going to be significantly more connected to his numero uno companion than, say, a guy with a betta fish. (Hamsters, however, might be a different story.) Dogs are super loyal to their owners — how else do brave souls let them run off leash and expect them to come back? — and in turn, chances are good your guy is going to be steadfast with you.

2. They knows how to plan.

Your guy is going to have to nail down plans really well, because he has to fit in when to walk and feed his best buddy. That dog is going to come first — if only because nobody ever wants to come home to a house full of pee and busted pillows. As such, if you date a guy with a dog, chances are good he’ll actually, y’know, set plans in stone with you so you know he’s not blowing you off. He’s not! He just needs to make dates so he knows when to plan walks and dog park time. That’s right: actual! dates! No 11 p.m. texts about whether or not “u up??”

3. They’re not afraid to deal with messy stuff.

Up to and including picking fresh poop off the sidewalk, relieving his buddy’s painful new tick, and expressing glands. (Don’t google this. It’s beyond gross.) And though dealing with physically ick-worthy stuff doesn’t always translate to emotionally gross stuff, I mean, if he’s willingly doing pooper-scooper duty, I’m sure he can handle a few choice articles of your mental baggage.

4. They’re friendly.

And not like, immediately-going-to-go-sniff-your-butt friendly, but at the very least he’ll take a cue from his pet and enjoy the company of others. Have you ever seen dogs in a dog park? They’re just like, oh, hey, welcome to the pack now, let’s do this. They share the balls. They share the frisbees. They’re just friendly.

5. …And make friends easily…

Guys with dogs often see other dogs on the street, and if it is anywhere remotely near his own dog’s breed, he’s bound to point it out. He might even stop and ask if he can give Rascal a quick scratch around his neck. Dogs are common ground, and it’s very easy to bond over pictures of your dogs and give a collective “aww!” over a puppy you see on the street whose paws are still too big for its body. Because, come on. If you don’t squeal over a wobbly puppy, you don’t have a heart.

6. …but will also still be protective.

All of those movie and television scenes where you see things escalating between the good guy and the bad guy, and then the good guy’s dog starts barking because he senses that his owner is under some sort of duress, and suddenly he breaks free and saves the day? Dogs are intuitive like that. Similarly, if you start getting into an argument with some drunk jerk at the bar, your guy is going to sense it. I mean, this could be said of all guys, really — if a guy doesn’t even support his friends and intervene when things are escalating, that says a lot about him — but it is testament to reason why men and their dogs are BFF.

7. Chances are good they’re active.

Dogs, at the very least, need a little outdoor time, but walks are prime. Especially if you live in a city, it’s almost guaranteed that your guy is getting a solid hour’s worth of walking a day total, but any guy with a dog I’ve met also likes taking his furry BFF for walks all over the place, especially on weekends. If he has a bigger dog, he might even run with it regularly.

8. They’re probably also cuddlers.

Dogs, no matter their size, are going to want to cuddle. They’ll curl up at your feet, they’ll try to be lap dogs even when they’ve far surpassed that surface space, and they just want to be lil’ living heating pads of love. Guys with dogs are used to this invasion of privacy, and if you want to snuggle up with him, it’s not a matter of, ew, get out of my space, but rather, well, there goes the space bubble again, might as well curl in together and do this snugglefest right.

9. They won’t be shy to show you off.

Any guy with a smartphone and a dog also probably has an Instagram wherein he prominently features said dog. Now, you probably won’t make it into as many snapshots as Fido, and you’re going to have to be patient that he probably isn’t the best at picking out the most flattering filter — fur holds up against Toaster much better than does human skin — but you might make it into a few frames. At the very least, he’ll tag you in photos with you and his main pup.

10. They’re not perfectionists.

Guys with dogs know that not everything is always going to go the way they envisioned it — and they can roll with it instead of freaking out. Sometimes puppies get sick, sometimes they chew something that was definitely not meant to be chewed. A dude that can prioritize people (and pups) over order or things is definitely a keeper.

11. They’re at least a little bit selfless.

No one wants to get up and walk their pet before they get coffee or even their own trip to the bathroom, especially not when it’s cold or yucky out. But learning how to do things even when you don’t want to is what separates men from boys (or women from girls). It’s part of being an adult and being able to be in a healthy relationship. And I mean, anyone who willingly owns an animal and loves it and feeds it has to have a lotta love to give.

12. You’ll always be able to tell what kind of person they really are.

Dogs 100% take cues from their owners (this is scientifically proven by Disney, after all) so you’ll be able to read him pretty easily. If the dog is really excited and lovable, you know your guy is going to get hyped about a few choice things, too. If he has a small dog, he’s super secure with his sexuality and that’s hot — but if he has a big dog that is super lovable, it means he’s protective, but also has a big heart. (Or if he has a dog that’s a total dick, you know who he is deep down. Let’s just hope he never snarls at you.)