Once you let your dog in your bed, there’s no going back. They’ll want to sleep beside you and hog the covers every single night. Most dog lovers adore their pups so much we don’t mind sacrificing a little sleep.
A couple in Yorkshire are especially familiar with their dog hogging the bed. Their English Springer Spaniel named Spike has slept beside them every night since they first adopted him. But now that he’s getting older, the family has made compromises to ensure he never has to spend a night alone.
Spike’s Bedtime Routine
When the family adopted Spike at 6-years-old, they wanted him to stay downstairs at night. His new parents weren’t thrilled about sharing a bed with a dog, so they put a gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep him away from their upstairs bedroom. That plan was quickly foiled though.
“The first time we had him, we closed the stair gate and went to bed. 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 on the bed! And that’s where he slept from then on,” said daughter Catherine Morris.
Instead of putting their foot down for their bedtime rules, Morris’ parents gave up and allowed Spike to sleep with them. He loves to snuggle up to his humans at night and sleep under the covers. He sometimes takes up all the space, but his humans are used to it now.
Spike makes sure his humans never go to bed without him by their side. However, as he got older, walking upstairs to the bedroom got harder on him. After he suffered from two strokes, it was nearly impossible for him to head to bed on his own. But the family didn’t let that stop him from getting a good night’s sleep.
The rescue pup is now 14-years-old, and his strokes caused severe mobility problems for him. After his second stroke, Spike couldn’t stand up on his own, let alone walk up the stairs. His humans had to carry him around, but soon, the determined pup learned to walk again.
Adjusting to Senior Life
Now, Spike can walk on his own again, but he’s not as strong as he used to be. His parents don’t want to risk him going up and down the stairs, so they put the gate back up. But they also knew that if he tried to jump the gate when no one was watching it could be even more tragic for his health. So, Spike now sleeps downstairs on the pull out couch, and one of his humans always joins him.
Spike’s mom and dad take turns sleeping downstairs with Spike. They know he’s getting older, so they want to ensure his remaining time is as comfortable as possible. Spike spends a lot of time on the sofa during the day as well. His dad brings his food and water to him on a regular basis. It’s a lot of work to keep Spike happy at night, but it’s well worth it.
“This new schedule started while I was away at university, so my parents spent alternate nights downstairs with Spike. 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,” said Morris.
While this rescue pup wasn’t allowed in his human’s room on his first night home, he made himself comfortable anyway. Now, his family loves him unconditionally and they’ll do anything they can to make sure he stays safe and cozy at night.
H/T: thedodo.com
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via Whisker Therapy