I need a dog

Just earlier tonight I was giving The Boss and Herself a hard time about their pets and the accidents/issues the pets have caused them. Pets can be a bit destructive at times and cause some monetary loses, but since I have never had a pet on my own, I don't think the same way.  I enjoy all (most) of my immediate family's pets, especially Sophie and Luna, so I feel like I can quasi understand and relate, but I'm definitely wrong and realize it when I make comments like that to them.

Fast forward to 2 hours later and I'm up still awake  in my hotel room unable to sleep and come across this picture and this caption/article and felt like a bit of a dink and wish I could have taken my pet joking back and apologize.  This picture and caption are pretty cool and make me wish I had a dog.  Not much experience with dogs, but it seems to me that they worship their owner and always try to please their owners for most of their lives until they are too old and sick to do so, so its nice of this guy to pay his dog one back.  I think the picture and story would have been a bit more heartfelt if this guy didn't look like Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek The Next Generation, sans make-up, plus ponytail).  

"This (is) 19-year-old (Schoep) being cradled in his father's arms last night in Lake Superior. (Schoep) falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temp of the water is perfect. I was so happy I got to capture this moment for John. By the way, John rescued Shoep as an 8 month old puppy, and he's been by his side through many adventures."

"We all know dog is man's best friend but for Schoep, a 19-year-old pooch in Wisconsin, man is dog's best friend too. The aging pooch has bad arthritis and every evening his owner, John Unger, takes him into Lake Superior to soothe him, cradling the elderly dog in his arms as he rocks him to sleep. The water is therapeutic for the dog's aching bones, Unger says. The Wisconsin man rescued Schoep nearly 20 years ago and the two have been together ever since."