"It is becoming increasingly hot outside. Just look at how much Tyson is panting. Dogs and extreme heat do not mix well." Andy remarks.
All of them observe the young German Shepherd, who is panting heavily but still manages to wag his tail joyfully.
"Look at his tail wagging. If it spins any faster, he might take off into the air." James jokes.
"Fortunately, Steven packed Tyson's travel water bowl with him. We came prepared." Andy states.
Steven smiles and retrieves the travel bowl from a zipped-up pocket of Tyson's service dog vest. He fills it with cold water from a nearby water fountain and places it on the ground for Tyson to drink. The young dog quickly gulps it down, demonstrating just how thirsty he is.
"Wow, did you all see how quickly he drank that water? He was so thirsty. You should give him a little more, Steven, but not too much, of course. I know that big-breed dogs running right after drinking lots of water can be bad for their stomachs and can cause their insides to twist. Remember what happened in the movie Marley and Me? The first time it happened to Marley, the vet was able to fix the problem. The second time, not so much, because Marley had become a senior dog and it would have been too stressful for his old body, especially surgery." Tyler explains.
"We love that movie, but yes, the ending is always so sad when Marley has to be euthanized. So I turn it off for Steven when that part comes up. He can never get through it without crying. The first time we watched the movie, we had no idea Marley would die at the end. So when that part came, Steven was very emotional. After the movie ended, he cried for an hour and clung to Tyson, vowing to never let that happen to him." Andy shares.
"That makes you an excellent dog owner, Steven," Katie compliments.
Steven smiles at the compliment, refills Tyson's bowl, and finds a nearby shady spot for his furry companion to rest in.