Exclusive | Dog dating app sniffs out new furry friends and prods owners to break out of their bubbles: It was fun for me,too

It’s love at first sniff.On a sunny Saturday afternoon, an energetic Bernedoodle named Callie bounded into her date at the Soho Grand Dog Park.Her match, Crew, an English Cocker Spaniel, didn’t need much convincing.Within minutes, the two were tearing across the artificial turf, sharing a slobbery tennis ball, cooling off in the park’s stone dog bath, and posing for photos with their tongues hanging out after an hour of near-constant play.The pair had never met before.

Their owners matched them through Dog Date Afternoon, a new app that works a bit like a dating service for dogs and the people who love them.“They hit it off immediately and played to the point of near exhaustion,” New Yorker and app creator Erika Wasser told The Post.Without Dog Date Afternoon, the two pups likely would have passed each other on a crowded Manhattan sidewalk and never crossed paths again.In a city where hurried dog owners yank leashes to avoid pedestrian traffic or feel overwhelmed at one of the hundreds of crowded dog parks, Dog Date Afternoon is trying to make canine socializing a little more intentional.And for many owners, whose dogs have become family members — and often surrogate children — a social app for canines may be less ridiculous than it sounds.The $4.99 a month app, which launched in late May, lets owners create profiles for their pups based on age, size, temperament and play style.Dog Date Afternoon has key features from matching with compatible dogs nearby for one-on-one playdates or group outings known as “puppy parties,” chatting with matches, and a dog-friendly map of NYC where users can pin their favorite dog-friendly spots, including stores and restaurants.There is also an option to include vaccination status and calendars to keep all your social outings in order— all in pursuit of that pawfect match.But it’s not just about entertaining energetic pets — experts say carefully matched interactions can be healthier than the free-for-all env...