The Genius Reason You Should Put A Dog Photo In Your Wallet Before Traveling

There are plenty of things you shouldn't keep in your wallet, like your Social Security card, spare house key, or list of passwords. But a dog photo? That one should stay. In 2014, Professor Richard Wiseman ran an experiment in Edinburgh where he dropped 240 wallets around the city to see which ones people would return. Each wallet had different things inside, and only 15% of wallets that had nothing special inside them were returned. However, when a picture of a puppy was included, 53% of the wallets were returned, and the highest return rate, 88%, was for wallets with baby photos.

A dog's face works because it taps into what psychologists from the University of Lincoln and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità call the "baby-schema" effect. This means features like big eyes, a round head, and soft facial expressions can trigger your brain's natural caregiving instincts. A 2023 study from the University of Maryland, via Frontiers in Psychology, found that when people saw cute images online, it often made them feel a warm, emotional reaction called kama muta, a sense of being moved or touched. This feeling makes people more likely to act kindly, like helping someone, or returning a wallet. Not many know what to do when they find a lost wallet, but with a dog photo inside, they could be more likely to take action.

A dog photo in your wallet can not only save you time and hassle, but also money. According to the U.S. Department of State, replacing a lost U.S. passport can cost $130, with an extra $60 if you need it expedited — which is probably necessary if you lose it while traveling — and another $21 for overnight shipping. All of that is on top of any cash you might have had inside your wallet when it went missing. Plus, losing a credit card can leave you paying up to $30 to rush a new one, depending on your bank. Add the hassle of long calls to banks and consulates, and suddenly a cheap laminated dog photo can seem like smart insurance.

Another travel hack that you should also consider is known as the decoy wallet trick. Travel + Leisure recommends carrying a fake wallet filled with a few old cards and a small amount of cash. If someone tries to rob you or pick your pocket while travelling, you can simply hand over the dummy and keep your real wallet, the one with the dog photo, hidden in a secure pocket or money belt. Meanwhile, the thief thinks they got something and moves on. This trick is especially helpful if you are in European cities where you're most likely to get pickpocketed. Together, these two strategies can give you protection — one to fool thieves, and the other to tug at someone's heartstrings to hopefully get your valuables back.