Simply put, it is just pretending that you have a dog! See, everyone loves dogs, and the thought is that maybe if you have some pictures on your online dating profile of you holding, hugging or walking a dog, then maybe that would increase the chances of other eligible bachelors or bachelorettes being interested in you. The problem occurs, however, if the dog isn't yours, but a friend or family members and you are passing the canine off as your own.

The fact that so many people use online dating sites to meet means it is a lot easier to present a certain portrait of yourself, and saying that you love dogs and have pictures of them on your profile page certainly does give the indication that you currently own one.

That explains the 'dog' part in the term, but you might still be wondering why 'fishing' is in here? In the general sense, the 'fishing' part of the term is simply related to trying to catch something in a sea, with the dating implications being obvious here (as the old saying goes, if you ever had a relationship end, 'there's plenty more fish in the sea'). From the nineteen nineties onward, however, even fishing had a bit of a darker tone, because if you switch out the 'f' for a 'ph' then you're dealing with scammers on the internet trying to get you to give them personal info or money through some sort of lie.

Maybe you are just trying to show that you really like dogs with the pictures on your profile, and if that's true, then there's really nothing 'wrong' with this presentation. The only issue arises when you start to message or text people and claim that you do indeed have a dog. In this case, you certainly are lying to the person, and it's a pretty bad start to any relationship if you're going to be lying about having a pet when you actually don't. Especially if they finally come to your house and you don't have one. You can keep lying, but eventually it's going to catch up with you.

Maybe you can quickly adopt a pet after the first few dates if you really stuck with the story about owning an animal, but quite quickly you're going to be tested as to whether you're a really good dog owner or not! Most likely the person the you're dating likes dogs - since this is one of your early things you've had in common - and can help you out right from the start.

As far as lying goes, pretending to someone you've just started to socialize with that you own a dog when you don't is not the biggest sort of lie that you could have told, but it doesn't exactly start the possibility of a relationship off on the right foot. Without a doubt, the time to start telling the truth about the dog situation is pretty early on, since it's not going to be very easy to convince someone that you have a dog when you actually don't.

You should certainly resist the temptation to say that the dog you were talking about had suddenly died, and that's why you don't have one in your house anymore, because while that could get you some quick sympathy, it will be utterly disastrous if the truth comes out down the road. Your partner might be talking to a friend of family member, who will tell them that you've never owned a dog, or at least not one that died just a few months ago.

If you really love dogs - or really, any sort of animal you might want as a pet - then just sticking with that might be the best thing to do. Not that you have a dog, but that you're willing to get one soon. But if you've ever lied for a little bit about having a dog before coming clean and telling the truth, the other person might always be wondering if you've been lying about other things you've told them, and perhaps there's a trust barrier between you that can never be broken down.

Why does it matter if you own a dog? Because being able to properly care for a dog proves to prospective partners that you are someone who is responsible. Even if it's just a pet, it means that you can make a commitment to make sure that something is healthy and happy in your life. From the most practical perspective, walking and feeding a dog twice a day and giving it plenty of emotional attention means you aren't a total slob who only thinks about themselves.

This is accepted as common knowledge (even though there can be many unfortunate examples of pet owners who certainly don't treat their animal companions as well as they should), and so you'll see it used frequently in the world of online dating. You can already make sure you're only talking about your most positive aspects, and posting photos that are very flattering, so why not add an animal to show that you proves you can already keep something in your life healthy and happy? It's proof that you can do commitment, at least on a basic-necessity level.

Dogs need a lot of attention and care. Cats need a lot less. While it's a bit too black and white to divide the world into dog people and cat people, having photos on your profile with you and your cat don't elicit the same sort of responses as a dog. Yes, cats needs to be fed, have their litter-boxes emptied and be petted, but not to the same extent that dogs do. While standing beside a dog in a profile photo suggests responsibility and commitment, you holding onto your cat just suggests that you like cats. This might have something to do with the fact that cats are far less dependent on people in the first place, as many outdoor cats go out and hunt, whereas dogs are almost totally dependent on humans for survival.

Maybe it's also because 'catfishing' is already being used in the world of dating, but means something completely different (involving pretending to be someone you're not, in order to embarrass or scam a potential date or partner).

Compromise is part of every relationship, and nothing gives you a test of like this than having to do something you don't want to do, because no matter how cold it is outside, you have to take the dog out for a walk at six in the morning so it can do its business. It also makes you learn how to budget a lot better, because you have to buy a lot of food, the occasional toys and accessories, and the vet bills can really add up, especially if your companion falls ill. All of these things will prove to someone that you're dating that it might be possible to transfer some of these compromising skills into a relationship with them.

But only if you actually have a dog! If you don't, and are just 'dogfishing', then you show them the total opposite side. Not only are you possibly bad with compromise and commitment, but that you are totally willing to lie to them about being good with it. Without a doubt the appearance of a dog can go a long way on your online dating profile, but if you claim there or in early conversations that you have a dog, you better damn well have one.

Maybe you love dogs but don't have one (and were truthful about that from the start), but don't want to make the leap and get one for yourself (or yourselves). In that case, a great mid-step is just to take care of a friend or family member's dog for a week or so and see how you like it. You can get into the rhythm of feed and walking and making sure whoever else in your home is doing well. It also makes for a nice excuse to get together with the person you're in a relationship with, especially early on, as hanging out the dog is a nice change of pace from the typical sort of dinner and drinks date.

And if you find that it's a total disaster, that you really don't like having to wait hand and foot on a four-legged friend, then you can just bring the dog back to your friend or family member, no harm, no foul. It's a much better result than leaping into adopting a dog right away just so you can prove to the person you're dating that yes, you are indeed a dog person. In fact, these sorts of rash decisions just to cover up a like or exaggeration on your dating profile might be proof that you might not be the ideal person for someone who is looking for a committed, dependable dog owner.

Finding out that someone who claimed to have a dog was just lying because they thought it sounded like it might interested more people is pretty disappointing, especially if you've gone on a date or two with them already and were peppering them with questions because you genuinely love dogs. While it's certainly not as bad as lying about other things (their relationship status, their living arrangements, their job), for many people it is certainly a deal breaker, because you can't help but wonder what else they might be lying about.

Dating online has opened up a wealth of opportunities to meet so many different people so quickly, but with that naturally comes the slightly darker side of not being sure who the people you meet truly are. Now of course people exaggerate when it comes to personal ads, as they all want to put their best foot forward and seem that much more of a great person, so the key is to be a little bit guarded when you first strike up a text messaging conversation with them. Not that you should distrust everything they claim, but it will certainly help in the long run if you find out the more you talk with them (either via text or face to face), if you find out they aren't being entirely truthful. If you bonded early on over your love of dogs and then find out they don't have one, it's completely natural that you will feel betrayed and hurt, and you certainly don't owe it to them to look the other way.

Trust and respect is something that has to be earned in a relationship, and that starts right from the start, when you are both checking out each other's profiles and looking to find things that you have in common. And if they have a dog in several of their photos, it makes sense that on some level, they already have that canine's trust and respect, but even took time to grow.

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