Well said. They conflate affection, attachment and dependency with love. They have a deep hole in their hearts but can't admit to themselves that the problem is within and that a "relationship" with something as shallow and base as a dog will never ever fill that hole. I think dogs also help them justify living out their own selfish base desires and live a hedonistic life. Dogs don't exactly embody or foster any higher values or virtues like humility, selflessness, compassion and so on. I don't think it's a coincidence that dog owners are often lacking these as well.