'Dig' the Dog Person of Your Dreams

Online dating is now the norm, with more than 40 million Americans — both young and old — choosing to look for the love of their life digitally. With so many apps and websites to choose from, singles are starting to get pickier about who they decide to start a conversation with. And that includes whether the potential mate has an affinity for dogs.

Dig, the dog person’s dating app, launched this week in the New York metro area, and already more than 1,000 people have downloaded the app.

Surveys show that people make their pets a priority on their online dating profiles — 77 percent of single dog owners on dating apps mention their dog in their profile, 51 percent feature at least one image of their dog and 70 percent think their date’s reaction to their pet is important.

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“Dig has a simple signup process, is free to use, creates a community of dog lovers and has valuable and unique sponsored features,” Dig CEO Leigh Isaacson said. “Dating sites that do offer the opportunity to check off whether you're a dog owner or not stop there.”

But Dig doesn’t.

Beyond finding the dog person of your dreams, the app identifies local dog-friendly date locations and events, offers tips and tricks from area veterinarians and trainers, and supplies users with daily pet deals.

Another differentiator for Dig are the ways users can search for the perfect companion:

• Dog ownership: Users can search for singles with or without dogs. The fact is that not all dogs get along, but they still need love from both sides of a relationship. “Some people want to find someone else who will just love their dog as much as they do,” Isaacson said.
• Dog size: Users can narrow down their dating options by searching for mates whose dogs will fit in their apartment. “My German shorthaired pointer would chase small dogs around the house until they collapsed,” Isaacson said. “It's not a good fit!”

Once the filters are set, the app supplies users every day with five of the best potential dates for their doggie preferences. Users can then decide who they “dig,” “really dig” or “pass” on.

Besides making love connections, Dig also partners with national and local dog-related businesses, animal shelters and pet foster programs. According to Isaacson, every dog pictured on the app and on the Dig Instagram profile is available for adoption, and every launch event will be an adoption event.

The first launch event in New York, attended by well over 300 people according to Isaacson — and almost as many dogs — had two dozen pet-friendly businesses on site and raised money to help repay foster families for their travel expenses. And Isaacson plans on launching the app in other cities and holding similar events.

“Our plan is to head south to Austin and New Orleans next,” she said. “However, we're [seeing] a lot of business and user interest in Seattle, Washington D.C., Nashville, Chicago and [other areas].”

Veterinarians don’t have to sit on the sidelines, either. Dig is actively looking for veterinarians to partner with. Give your "tip or trick of the day" to app users or, if your practice is in the area, share your location and hours of operation.

“When you’re dating and you’re a dog owner, it doesn’t matter who reaches out first or how many friends you have in common,” Isaacson said. “If you don’t get along with my dog, it’s never going to work.”