Family’s Dog Is Too Old And Weak To Sleep Upstairs, So They Sleep With Him On The Couch Every Night

• Spike, a 14-year-old English springer spaniel, has survived a second stroke, but he could not climb the stairs anymore to sleep in his humans’ bed.
• They installed a stair gate so Spike would not attempt to go up and risk getting himself injured.
• By sleeping with him on the couch, they can make sure he will not try to jump the gate.

Everyone will eventually get old and sickly, even our beloved pets. And since their lifespan is shorter than us humans, there will definitely come a time that we have to do some senior care for our fur companions. This family’s touching gesture for their senior dog will definitely touch and tug at anyone’s heartstrings.

Spike, a 14-year-old English springer spaniel, has survived a second stroke, but his age and health mean he will not be as strong and sprightly as he once was.

He could not climb the stairs anymore, which he used to do to sleep in his humans’ bed.

“He has always slept on the bed upstairs, so when the stairs became too dangerous for him it was an immediate transition to sleeping downstairs,” Spike’s owner explained.

The family got Spike when the dog was five years old from a rescue after a year that they lost their old dog. Spike already came from several homes before the family got him.

After his second stroke, Spike was not able to walk so the family carries him around the house.

He eventually got strong enough to walk again, but not strong enough to climb the stairs. So they decided to take turns sleeping beside him on the couch each night.

The owner said that Spike spends most of his time sleeping during the day and cuddling up with people as much as possible.

“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!”

They installed a stair gate so Spike would not attempt to go up and risk getting himself injured. By sleeping with him on the couch, they can make sure he will not try to jump the gate.

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

You can see more of Spike on his Instagram account, spikethespringer.