How the match works

Every breed on the site is described by four things: its size, its energy level, what it was originally bred to do, and the country it comes from. Each time you love or pass a breed, we note those four things. After 10 swipes we compare every breed in the catalogue against the pattern in your choices and show the closest one. The full table is in the breed matrix, and you can download it as a spreadsheet (CSV).

1. What each breed is described by

The four traits carry these weights: Size ×2, Energy ×2, Bred for ×1 (its original job) and Origin ×1 (country). Size and Energy count double because they change daily life with a dog the most.

2. What your swipes tell us

For each trait we work out the share of the breeds you loved that have each value, and the share of the breeds you passed that have each value. Example: you loved 5 breeds and 4 were Large, so Large is 80% of your loves. If you passed 4 breeds and 1 was Large, Large is 25% of your passes.

3. Scoring every breed

For every breed in the catalogue, for each of its four traits: trait score = share of your loves with that value − half the share of your passes with that value. Multiply by the trait weight and add the four together. In the example, a Large breed gets 0.80 − 0.5 × 0.25 = 0.675 for Size, then × 2 = 1.35.

All 54 breeds are scored, including ones you already swiped. A breed you loved often scores high because it matches your taste. The report shows the best fit across the whole catalogue.

4. The percentage

The percentage is the breed's score divided by the best score any breed could possibly get: a breed matching your most-loved value in every trait and none of your passes. It is capped between 1% and 99%, because no quiz knows you that well.

5. The runners-up

The next two highest scores are shown as "also try". If two breeds tie, the one listed first wins.

What the match leaves out

It knows nothing about your home, time, budget, allergies or family. It is a shortlist based on what you like, so meet the dogs before you decide. Browse every profile in the catalogue, read our guides, or start swiping.