When it comes to getting adopted, a dog’s playfulness and desire to be near the potential adopter tell the tale.

In a study published in the April 2014 issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, researchers observed 250 interactions between dogs and potential adopters. They found dogs who responded to adopter invitations to play, and dogs who lay near the potential adopter during their interaction, were more likely to be adopted.

No other traits in the dog, including looks, affected their chance of adoption.

The study also identified characteristics of the area where interactions took place as affecting chances of adoption. For instance, having dog and adopter meet in a small outdoor concrete area was more likely to result in an adoption than a large grassy area or an indoor space.

Alexandra Protopopova, Clive David Lawrence Wynne, Adopter-dog interactions at the shelter: Behavioral and contextual predictors of adoption, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, April 2014, ISSN 0168-1591, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.04.007.