my dog barks at me when i cry so it's a hard decision

I heard some kind of argument to the effect that everyone would rather choose a dog, so it's not as significant of a comparison as when they were compared to a bear. I.e. "the way you think makes you more dangerous than a wild animal!"

It's the difference between asserting "you could stand to be a more comforting presence" vs "there's not a single thought in your head that contributes my well-being"