Dogfishing
- “he posted photos with a dog that wasn't his”
- “the word for using a dog in dating photos”
- “why do dogs work on dating apps”
- “fake dog in profile picture”
:: COMPARE ::
DogfishingvsKittenfishing
The short answer
Dogfishing is one specific tactic inside the broader habit of kittenfishing. Kittenfishing is presenting a flattering version of a real self; dogfishing borrows one particular prop to imply a quality — warmth, reliability — that the photo can't actually evidence.
Side by side
| Aspect | Dogfishing | Kittenfishing |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One prop | The whole profile |
| What's implied | You're a dog person | You look like this |
| The lie | Ownership | Currency of the photos |
| Relationship | A subtype | The category |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Dogfishing rather than Kittenfishing are usually searching for phrases like “he posted photos with a dog that wasn't his”, “the word for using a dog in dating photos”, “why do dogs work on dating apps”.
Kittenfishing
- “slightly lying on a dating profile”
- “their photos looked nothing like they do in person”
- “the word for exaggerating yourself on a dating app”
- “when someone's profile is a flattering version of the truth”
Which came first
Kittenfishing. 2017 — The dating app Hinge coins the term in a June 21 article for the milder-than-catfishing deception.
- 2017KittenfishingThe dating app Hinge coins the term in a June 21 article for the milder-than-catfishing deception.
- around 2019DogfishingEmerges as a play on 'catfishing' for dating-app users borrowing dogs for photos. No coiner or first citation is documented.
Read either one in full