It can be a dog's life finding a partner on the internet - Feature

Berlin - Like attracts like - even on the internet where the dream partner is just a mouse-click away. But people need to be inventive to find the right suitor. Take Berlin resident Dani, for example. She used her pet Dalmatian Magic in her attempt to find Mr Right.

The 35-year-old posted a photo of the black-and-white canine on the website www.date-a-dog.de, which offers pet-loving singles the chance to meet up with like-minded souls.

In addition to the doggy details, the owner can also place his or her vital statistics on the website. Some 6,000 pet owners have already sought to establish closer contact this way.

More than 9 million Germans flirt on the internet, according to the initiative www.safedating.de.

"There are around 2,000 online forums where people can look for partners," estimates Jan Skopek, a social science researcher at the University of Bamberg.

These new types of dating agencies are drawing customers away from traditional lonely hearts clubs, resulting in millions of dollars in lost income, he says.

Turnover from registration fees and advertising on internet dating portals has grown from 20 million euros (27 million dollars) in 2003 to 115 million euros in 2006, says Henning Weichers, managing director of www.singleboersen-vergleich.de.

Dating this way saves time, according to Skopek. "Users can quickly pick out whoever they think might be suitable."

It is particularly useful for people with daytime jobs, who can spend the evening surfing through the huge number of potential partners available over the internet.

Singles are choosy when it comes to looking for the right partner, Skopek says. A poorly taken photograph can result in a would-be lover being clicked into oblivion.

While males tend to go for the physical attributes of a female partner, women place more emphasis on a man's education and professional background.

People with special interests have a greater chance of meeting the right person than those without, according to research.

London's internet radio www.lastfm.de believes that music lovers often find themselves on the same wavelength in other fields.

On its website, the station lists who has been listening to what songs over a period of hours or days. It doesn't bother the lonely hearts that other listeners can click on their personal details. The main thing is that they meet the right person as quickly as possible.

"Chrissy," a 20-year-old German girl with long hair, is a fan of the Munich group Sportfreunde Stiller. According www.lastfm.de, her music taste matches that of "Antonio Junior," aged 20.

Unfortunately, the couple will have to do their flirting via email because Antonio Junior lives in Brazil.

But for those not interested in pets or music, blood is an alternative. The portal www.single-service.de matches prospective partners according to their blood groups.

According to a Japanese theory, different blood groups represent different characteristics in a person.

"People with blood group A, for example, are considered highly responsible and sensitive, according to single-service board member Alexander Hotz. "They would rarely go on holiday spontaneously."

Those with group O are ambitious and strong-willed. They are also unpunctual, according to Hotz. Group B types are considered communicative.

One-third of the 300,000 singles registered with the portal have given their blood groups, he says.

Skopek believes that the internet makes it easier for people to get to know one another. But it is up to the couples themselves to decide what happens after their first meeting.

"The internet doesn't bring people together," he says. "It's the couples themselves who do that."

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