Is Your Dog An Online Dating Dealbreaker?

Have you ever come across a gorgeous man's profile picture who seems to have everything you've ever wanted in life — except he has a cat? How about that handsome, mysterious James Bond type who claims the hobbies of cliff-diving and extreme snowboarding excites him? Crap ... he's into exotic snakes.  In the online dating world, these mini-factoids may fall into a category called dealbreakers.

Because dealbreakers are exactly that, the question comes into play, "Where do pets fit into your dating profile?" Most of the traditional sites have a spot where you can share your animal likes and dislikes, and these usually allow free-form writing. However tempting it may be to share the poem you recently wrote honoring Fluffy, my best advice is to keep this to a simple list. 3 Super-Creepy Online Daters From WhyTheyreSingle.com

More from YourTango: 50 Ways To Improve Your Sexual Connection Tonight

Try something like this:
Dogs, Cats, Birds, Horses...

... rather than something like this:
I love my cat Fluffy and she doesn't play well with others.

True, this may be an extreme statement, but I actually found this in some poor unsuspecting lady's Match.com profile. Now I ask you, do you think that hottie from the first paragraph is going to want to put his dear Garfield into harm's way? Your humor may have been lost in translation.

Another profile I came across spent 50% of her "About Me" essay singing praise to her best friends — her dogs. She's a lovely woman who could have great potential to speak about her interests and goals. Instead, she shares the story of the giant puppy knocking her last date over at the front door. Is Technology Hurting Your Relationship?

True, these are cute stories, especially for us gals. But do we know how these stories translate on the computer screen? Here I share a few interpretations I got from my panel of experts (men who married on Match.com).

1. Am I going to have to compete with an animal for attention?
2. Am I going to have to worry about a fight if my snake eats her hamster?
3. Puppy? No thanks...I like my shoes in one piece, thank you very much!
4. Dog? But I like to travel ... too bad. She was hot!
5. Thanks but no thanks. I take enough Benadryl already.

Alright, I know. Sounds harsh, right? Sorry, but that is the exact definition of a deal-breaker. Don't get me wrong, pets are an essential part of our lives. And I love our cats Thelma and Louise in spite of myself...they were his pre-nuptial. And in my own profile, I stated, "I'm a dog person but my son loves our stupid cat."

Humor translated to the idea that I was indeed a cat lover. Lucky for me because I married the guy. However, I had very different reasons for owning a cat. Allergies be damned, I hate mice.

More from YourTango: Desperate Debbie & 9 More Women That Turn Men Off

Next: The solution...

More Juicy Content From YourTango:

• 30 Dating Habits All 30 Year Olds Should Avoid
• Should I Try Mobile Dating? VIDEO
• The Secret To Successful Online Dating