In a world where anyone can collect hundreds of virtual 'friends' on websites such as Facebook, the humble dog was in danger of being left behind.
But now a social networking site has been set up just for Man's best friend and has already attracted tens of thousands of users.
Animal-lovers have posted profiles of more than 27,000 pets on DoggySnaps, which fans have cheekily dubbed Facebark.
Woof-tastic: Canines, like humans, are getting addicted to online social networking
Visitors can find out all about every animal featured, from their breed and age to their personality. And just as Facebookers update their friends on their favourite movies, books and bands, DoggySnaps owners share details about their favourite pets.
Dogs are rated in categories such as friendliness and intelligence and the site even lists their likes and dislikes, including favourite foods.
There is also an equivalent to the Facebook 'poke', allowing you to send a dog a 'treat' to show that you enjoyed the picture and profile.
The site, set up by the strays charity Dogs Trust, also acts as a dating service for lonely owners. But it has a more serious side.
Several thousand entries are from stray or abandoned animals the charity is trying to rehome. The Dogs Trust cares for more than 14,000 dogs each year with its network of 17 kennels and rehoming centres.
Hundreds of owners have also set up tribute pages to pets that have passed away, which are marked with a black band saying 'In Loving Memory'.
Tim Malbon, of web designers Interesource, who helped create the site, said: 'With practically no PR or marketing, and from a standing start in October 2006, we now have more than 40,000 photos of dogs and this is rising steadily every day.
'We have an active community who are emotionally engaged and very responsive to the website, newcomers and new features, which is fantastic for such a young site.'
But now a social networking site has been set up just for Man's best friend and has already attracted tens of thousands of users.
Animal-lovers have posted profiles of more than 27,000 pets on DoggySnaps, which fans have cheekily dubbed Facebark.
Woof-tastic: Canines, like humans, are getting addicted to online social networking
Visitors can find out all about every animal featured, from their breed and age to their personality. And just as Facebookers update their friends on their favourite movies, books and bands, DoggySnaps owners share details about their favourite pets.
Dogs are rated in categories such as friendliness and intelligence and the site even lists their likes and dislikes, including favourite foods.
There is also an equivalent to the Facebook 'poke', allowing you to send a dog a 'treat' to show that you enjoyed the picture and profile.
The site, set up by the strays charity Dogs Trust, also acts as a dating service for lonely owners. But it has a more serious side.
Several thousand entries are from stray or abandoned animals the charity is trying to rehome. The Dogs Trust cares for more than 14,000 dogs each year with its network of 17 kennels and rehoming centres.
Hundreds of owners have also set up tribute pages to pets that have passed away, which are marked with a black band saying 'In Loving Memory'.
Tim Malbon, of web designers Interesource, who helped create the site, said: 'With practically no PR or marketing, and from a standing start in October 2006, we now have more than 40,000 photos of dogs and this is rising steadily every day.
'We have an active community who are emotionally engaged and very responsive to the website, newcomers and new features, which is fantastic for such a young site.'
