Tinder reply when she says she's a dog person but never had one growing up

When someone writes "never actually had one lol, long story", the lol and the long story are doing the work. She's signalling that there's a reason and that she doesn't want to hand you the whole thing in a first message. The fact itself is almost beside the point. What you're reading for is how comfortable she sounds saying it. If she's laughing at herself, she wants the lightness to carry the exchange. If she's apologetic, she's expecting you to ask.

So the first job is to match the tone she set. Respond to the dog part, which is the part she actually cares about, and let the childhood part pass unless she brings it back. Her message is about who she is now and what she likes. Her history is background, and she hasn't offered it for discussion.

The reply that fits this situation is one that shows real interest in dogs as a thing she likes. Something that takes her preference seriously, asks about the kind of dog she'd want, or points at a shared experience with dogs you've had or met. You can tell a draft is working this way when it's about the dog and not about her absence of one. It should be short enough that she can answer in a single line, and it should leave room for her to say more if she wants to.

Leave out anything that digs into the gap. No question about why, no reassurance that it's fine she never had one, no suggestion of how she could get one now. Also leave out any comparison to your own pet unless you're sure it's relevant and light. A good draft gives her an easy next step in the conversation without making her justify herself.

Send it in the evening, when people are more likely to be relaxed and answering properly, not in the middle of the workday or in the small hours. If she replies warmly, match her energy and let the conversation move toward other things. If she gives a one-word answer, that's a fair signal the topic is done. Don't chase it with a second dog question.

If she doesn't reply within a day or so, leave it. Don't send a follow-up about dogs, and don't resend the same idea in different words. If she comes back a few days later with something new, you can pick it up from there. If there's still nothing after a week, it's a quiet thread and you can let it go without a message.