Tinder Users Aim For Loyal “Golden Retriever” Partners for 2025

According to Tinder’s latest “Year in Swipe” board, singles are setting their sights on finding a “Golden Retriever” partner in 2025, emphasizing qualities like loyalty, kindness, and enthusiasm in their relationships. The term, which gained popularity on TikTok, describes someone who is cheerful, dependable, and deeply devoted – much like the famously loyal dog breed that the name comes from.

The concept has also surfaced in the LGBTQ+ dating space, with the rise of “Golden Retriever lesbian” as a similar archetype. Both iterations highlight the appeal of partners who are open-hearted, supportive, and unashamedly affectionate.

Tinders finding show that this general craving for more affectionate and kind partners isn’t a small one – nearly 45% of surveyed users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia expressed a desire for this type of partner. In a related trend, 35% of singles are seeking a “Cinnamon Roll” partner, meaning someone described as sweet, kind, and “too pure for this world.”

Beyond specific personality types, other qualities topping Tinder users’ wishlists include trustworthiness (40%), physical attraction (35%), shared values (31%), emotional availability (30%), and shared interests (28%). Meanwhile, major deal-breakers for 2025 include poor hygiene (50%), rudeness (44%), and excessive discussion of past relationships (34%).

While this might all be common sense for most people, it still shows that Tinder users are actively prioritising specific parts of the dating experience – with more toxic or risky behaviors being pushed to the sidelines and users aim for kinder and more aware matches online.