Valentine's Day is coming, so I'm devoting this column to love. Most of you don't know this, but I've been in love for a couple of years now. Her name is Isabelle and she is my constant sidekick, inspiration and concern. She's a scruffy black and white Jack Russell with uneven front and back legs, a very obvious underbite, and a love of food that rivals my own. She can also be pretty grouchy when she's pushed … but only when she's pushed. Most of the time, she's just about the sweetest dog I've ever known.

A lot of people question whether dogs can "love" each other. Many scientists discuss pack mentality and instinct. They analyze us from a distance and debate whether or not we are capable of emotion and intelligence. They are amazed when we exhibit behaviors outside of the predicted norm. They publish their findings with great fanfare. (i.e., Science magazine reports that some dogs have a remarkable capacity to understand human speech! There's a Border Collie in Germany who differentiates among hundreds of toys! The ASPCA found that 66% of dogs mourn the loss of a canine companion!) Well, none of this surprises me or anyone who knows and lives with dogs. Yes, we have emotions. And yes, love is one of them.

Now, I don't know how our love feels compared to how human love feels, but my love for Isabelle is pretty strong. We curl up together when we sleep at night and get upset when we're apart for even a little while. I'm overly curious about what she's doing at all times. We're peas in a pod, and I like it that way. I live with two other dogs, but they're just pack-mates. Watching us, it's obvious that while I like them a lot, I'm not as close to them as I am to Isabelle.

I love my people too, by the way. Most dogs love the people with whom they share their lives. We get excited when family members come home and show it in our eyes and body language. We try very hard to be with our people as much as possible. And a lot of us get pretty protective of our people if we think they are in danger. Again, I don't know what human love feels like, but I know canine affection for humans is very real.

With Valentine's Day coming up, I've been thinking a lot about all of this love stuff. I've been thinking a lot about why I feel the way I do about Isabelle. I don't really know. She's definitely not perfect. She certainly isn't beautiful according to breed standards. She is sometimes moody and often needy. To make matters worse, she gets jealous and cuts into my time when my people pay attention to me. I love her just the same, though.

I guess I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I thought you should know. More than that, I thought you might want to think about the people and animals you love. I thought it might be good to remind everyone that perfection is a silly pursuit and that all of us, canine and human, are flawed. And all of us deserve to love and be loved. If you don't have an Isabelle in your life, don't forget to give the imperfect prospects a chance. And if there is an Isabelle by your side, remember what a gift you have, not just on Valentine's Day but on each and every day of your life.