bad idea: "companion animals function as a blank slate" for human projection

There seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of emotion people associate with their dog and the amount of concrete knowledge they have about his physical and behavioral needs," says veterinarian Myrna Milani, who has written extensively on the human-animal bond. "Dogs, cats and other companion animals function as a blank slate on to which people can project what emotions they want - including the belief that sharing food with their pet is a form of communion."

...from:
Fat-pet pill? Try common sense
by Denise Flaim, Newsday.com, January 29, 2007