How the PawOrPass pet matching app works

Nobody picks matches for you. There's no quiz and no score. You decide who to paw, the other owner decides too, and a match only happens when you both say yes. Here's each step of this pet matching app, with tips that make every step work better.

What people mean by a pet matching app

The phrase covers three different things. PawOrPass does two of them.

1. Add your pet

Your pet's profile is photos and a few lines about your dog, cat or horse. Breeders can list litters and foals too. A good profile gets better matches, because the other owner can tell right away whether your pets fit.

• Lead with the face. A clear photo in daylight, taken at your pet's eye level, beats a dark photo from across the room.
• Show the whole animal. One full-body shot tells people the real size. For dog playdates, size matters more than breed.
• Show what they love. Mid-fetch, on the trail, asleep in a sunbeam. It says more than a caption.
• Be honest in the lines. Age, energy level and how your pet is with other animals. "Shy at first, then a wrestler" saves everyone a bad first meeting.

Noodle 3

Dachshund · 4 mi away

Short legs, big opinions. Shy for five minutes, then a wrestler.

• Up for playdates
• Small and gentle
• Loves the beach

Sample profile

2. Paw or pass

You see one animal at a time. Swipe right to paw, left to pass. Filters keep the feed on what you came for:

• Animal: dogs, cats, horses and more.
• Breed: narrow the feed to one breed.
• Looking for: playdates, breeders or a new pet.
• Distance: from nearby to the whole country.

Most people get the best feed by matching the filters to one goal at a time. A few starting points:

3. Add a note (optional)

Any paw can carry a short note. Until you match, that note is the only message anyone can send. So your inbox only ever holds notes and matches, never a pile of messages from strangers.

A good note does three things: it says what caught your eye, it says what you're after, and it asks one easy question. Keep it to a line or two. Some examples:

• For a dog: "Waffles plays gentle too. Park meetup on Sunday?"
• For a kitten: "Our kitten is the same age and nonstop. Playdate sometime?"
• For a horse: "Rocket looks like a steady trail horse. Want company on a Saturday ride?"
• For a litter: "Love this litter. Can I ask how the parents are with kids?"
• Just because: "That face made my whole day."

Leave your phone number and address out of notes. A note goes to someone you haven't matched with yet.

4. It's a match

A match happens when the other owner paws your pet back. The order doesn't matter. If you paw first, you match the moment they paw back. If they paw first, you get a paw alert, plus their note if they wrote one, and you can paw back to match.

If they never paw back, there's no match and no chat. That's normal. People pass for all kinds of reasons: the wrong distance, the wrong size, or they just wanted cute horses today. Keep swiping.

5. Chat and make a plan

Once you match, the chat is open and the plan is up to you both. Most matches turn into one of these:

• A dog playdate. Settle size, energy and vaccines in the chat first, then use our dog playdate checklist for where to meet and how to introduce the dogs.
• A kitten or cat meetup. Cats are pickier than dogs. Read whether cat playdates are a good idea before you plan one.
• A trail ride. Talk pace, experience and trail length. Our guide on how to find a trail riding partner covers the first ride.
• A question about a litter or foal. Ask to meet the parents, what health testing is done for the breed and whether you can visit.
• A new friend. Sometimes it's just two owners who like the same kind of animal.

For any first meeting, pick a public place, tell a friend where you're going and keep it short. PawOrPass doesn't check the owners or breeders you meet, so ask questions and trust your gut.

No pet? You can still swipe

You don't need a pet to browse. Paw as many animals as you like. To match and chat, add a profile for your own pet. A match takes two paws, so there has to be a pet on your side for the other owner to paw back.

Pet matching for dogs, cats and horses

Dog matching app: playdates and walk buddies

Most dog matches are about playdates and walk buddies, and fit matters more than breed. As a rule of thumb, look for dogs between half and double your dog's weight, with a similar energy level. So a 40-pound dog pairs well with dogs from 20 to 80 pounds. Keep the distance to about a 10 to 15 minute drive, so a good first playdate is easy to repeat. See the swipe app for dogs page for dog profiles and notes.

Cat matching: kittens, friends and breeders

Many adult cats would rather stay home, and that's fine. Cat matches are often kittens, cat-owner friends and breeders. Our cat playdate app page explains what cat people use PawOrPass for.

Horse matching: trail buddies and foals

Riders use it for trail buddies, barn friends and foals. Horses get the same swipe, notes and matches. Read more on swiping on horses.

What PawOrPass matching isn't

• It isn't a quiz that picks a pet for you. You choose every paw.
• It isn't open messaging. Before a match, a note is all anyone can send.
• It isn't one-sided. A match always means both owners pawed.