Family takes turns sleeping with senior dog on the couch after he became too sick to sleep upstairs

Being a family means being there for each other through the good times and the bad.

That’s exactly what these owners have been doing for their adopted senior dog Spike ever since he came into their lives.

Catherine Morris and her family adopted the English Springer Spaniel from a rescue when he was only 5 years old. They got him around a year after losing their old dog, who was also a rescue.

“Spike had several homes before us and we can’t understand how anyone could give him up, but we’re very glad he made his way to us,” Catherine told Bored Panda.

The dog was a restless ball of energy when he first arrived. When he wanted something, no one could stop him from having it, including his sleeping place.

He didn’t want to sleep alone downstairs, so he jumped over the stair gate every night to claim what he thought was his rightful snooze spot – on the bed, right beside his parents.

The Morris family wasn’t too keen on the idea initially, but who could say no to nightly dog snuggles?

Catherine’s parents eventually gave in, and they welcomed Spike as their regular sleeping buddy. This became their set up for almost a decade until Spike’s age caught up to him.

The now 14-year-old dog has battled various health problems and is currently recovering from a second stroke. He couldn’t walk or stand on his own for a time, so Catherine and her parents carried him around the house until he recovered enough strength to walk.

However, he still couldn’t manage to climb up the stairs to sleep beside his parents, so the family came up with a sweet plan: every night, they would take turns sleeping on the sofa with Spike to keep him happy.

They also set up their stair gate to make sure he doesn’t try to get up the stairs.

“This new schedule started while I was away at university, so my parents spent alternate nights downstairs with Spike,” Catherine said. “Since I moved back home, I’ve joined the rotation, so all in all we get a bit more sleep between the three of us.”

Like most senior dogs, Spike spends most of his time snoozing and cuddling up with his humans, especially after his second stroke. His family also needed to monitor him because the dog thinks he can lounge anywhere and eat anything he sees!

“He’s a very cheeky chappy too and thinks everything we have is for sharing—personal space, beds, food and any drink that foolishly gets left on the floor from tea to wine—we have to keep a very close eye on him!” his owner described him.

The Morrises take care of Spike in every way they can. Catherine’s dad, who has a special bond with the pooch, waits on him and makes sure he’s there to give the senior dog whatever he needs. He will bring him his water and food to the sofa and even feed him by hand to make sure he gets his medicines.

“We love our old boy so much and are so glad to have him in our lives,” Catherine told The Dodo. “Hopefully, we have made up for his not-so-good start in life by providing all the love in the world.”

This story just proves that dog owners will do anything to keep their faithful companions happy. For the Morris family, it’s all about giving Spike everything he deserves. The dog has spent all his life loving them, and all they can do to thank him for his affections is to love him back so much more!

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