That's just a mean take on it. The reason we love our dogs so much is because they are the shining example of unconditional love. No matter what, you're dog loves you unconditionally. A loyal dog and human will perish from starvation together. That's hardly beneficial to the animal's survival. The results of the study…

I believe we are non-rational beings who are good at rationalizing.

My takeaway from this episode is that I have no idea what the hell the writers are thinking.