When the Morris family adopted Spike nine years ago, they planned to have the English Springer Spaniel sleep downstairs. But as most things go, their resolve dissolved when the adorable Spike jumped the baby gate so he could sleep close to his new family.
“The first night we had him, we closed the stair gate and went to bed,” Morris said. “He whined for a couple of minutes before jumping over the gate in the dark and trotting up into my parents’ room and straight up onto the bed! And that’s where he slept from then on.”
Like most spaniels, Spike was a playful pup. Over the years, he spent his days chasing tennis balls and his nights sleeping in bed with his humans. “He loves to snuggle up and tries to push his way under the covers to get as close as possible,” Morris said.
As the years passed, Spike began to start showing signs he was aging and the family began worrying about him. Then when he turned 14, he had two strokes. Despite that, Spike was a fighter and was not yet ready to leave his family.
However, the second stroke did take a toll on Spike and he had to relearn to walk. His family carried him around the house while he was recovering and learning how to walk again. Spike slowly gained strength but was never the same.
It was no longer safe for Spike to climb the stairs, despite his desire to sleep with his people just as he had done for years. Sadly, the baby gate had to go back up but this time Spike was too old to jump over it.
Spike was sad at this turn of events so his family came up with a plan to keep the old pup happy. They began taking turns sleeping downstairs on the pullout couch so that Spike wouldn’t have to sleep alone.
“This new schedule started while I was away at university, so my parents spent alternate nights downstairs with Spike,” Morris 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.”
Spike’s dad was especially attentive to his best friend he lovingly calls the “Old Bean” and makes sure he is comfortable, fed, and takes all his medication. It’s touching to see how much he loves and cares for his loyal dog.
“They’re absolutely inseparable,” Morris said. “My dad calls him ‘old bean’ and they’re always chatting away.”
“My dad will also bring Spike his water and food to the sofa and feed him by hand to make sure he gets his medicines and keeps his strength up,” she added.
The world would be a better place if everyone loved each other the way the Morris family loves Spike. The dog is their treasure and it is clear they will remain devoted to him for the rest of his life.
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