A study by online dating site Match.com shows what most have already thought, but now the evidence proves it: having a pet makes you more attractive to the opposite sex.The study involved 1210 of Match.com's clients looking for love on the popular dating site.  A third of women and a quarter of men in the study were attracted to someone just because of their pet, with dogs taking the lead.

Would it be considered "date bait" to use your pet? Because one in five men have admittedly done just that, according to the Daily Mail.  Dogs are the most alluring pet to own, five times sexier than a cat - poor cats, they just get a bad rap everywhere. It also seems that owning birds, rabbits or reptiles didn't seem to make a difference, or had a negative impact.

Also of note, three quarters of the females refuse to date someone who doesn't like pets! Besides finding men with dogs more approachable, it also shows they are patient, kind, alpha personalities and would make great dads, something women tend to look for, whether they wish to have a family or not.

Online daters should probably look at adding a dog to their profile pictures, since online Photofeeler did its own study with and without a dog in the picture. No secret here, man holding a dog was a clear winner.

Photofeeler took a photo of a man holding a dog, and on different days to different women, they asked for feedback on a man with a dog or a man with a dog cropped out of the photo. The results were surprising. Man without dog shows in the three categories - smart, he was given a 5 percent, trustworthy was given an 8 percent, and attractive was given a 10 percent. But when Photofeeler added the dog to the pictures, the women responded that the man was 29 percent smart, 50 percent trustworthy and 33 percent attractive. So not only does your dog increase your sex appeal, Fido also makes you appear smarter and more trustworthy. Rescue dogs scored higher on the list over purchased dogs, too.

So there you have it, the only thing sexier than a man with a book, or a man holding a baby is man with a dog, according to The Dodo.  It seems women can't help getting weak-in-the-knees from this sight.