Dog social psychology is more higherarchical than ours.
Dogs treat their owners as a dominant member of the pack. At the risk of anthropomorphism, that relationship is akin to one of love and respect.
However, it is not mutual in the same way that love and respect from a fellow human more often is, or at least should be.
Dog owners effectively exploit the social psychology of lower animals to receive that unconditional love/respect-like emotion. For the vast majority of dog owners who treat their dogs well and love them, it probably feels like a reciprocal relationship.
But the dog doesn't love you because you love it, it would love you the same if you kicked it and fed it gruel. Because dogs have no self respect.
Cats however are evil geniuses. I am comfortable with the mutual suspicion and distrust between me and the cat that lives at my house.