can you love your dog too much?

That's the question asked by this Slate columnist, observing a cross-section of folks who admit they love their dogs more than they do most people. But why?

Part of the reason?

For everyone—dog owners and non-dog owners alike—loving human beings is
difficult, unpredictable, and often disappointing. Dog love is safer, perhaps
more satisfying: Dogs can't betray us, undermine us, tell us they're angry or
bored. Dogs can't leave.

Well, there is that. The writer, Jon Katz, goes on to list some of the variants of puppy love he's noticed over the years: the dog as working partner, the dog as rescued victim, the dog as surrogate for spouses or kids. (I think this all mostly works for cats, too. I know my crew thinks they are being an enormous help when they sit all over my manuscript and bite my pen while I'm writing.)

What's the ending conclusion on why this love exists? The column's here.

And Happy Valentine's Day to all pets and their people everywhere!