You are absolutely not the only one who feels that way. My wife, whom I was just dating at the time, came home one day with a puppy that she saw at an adoption drive. Neither one of us were planning on getting another dog yet, and I've always had big dogs. I thought I'd never get into this little guy, but Lucky has been around now for about 5 years and the house wouldn't be the same without him. My 2 1/2 year old daughter loves him to death. Poor guy has had a bad hip for a couple years and he may need surgery, but he's always in a good mood so it will get done no matter the cost.
Sorry to hear about Dune's trouble. They really are like another member of the family.