When Catherine Morris' family got Spike nine years ago, they wanted him to stay downstairs. But Spike, an English springer spaniel, had his own ideas.
"The first night, we put up a gate and went to bed," Morris said. "He cried for a few minutes. Then he jumped right over the gate in the dark and walked up to my parents' bedroom and got on their bed! That's where he slept every night after that."
During the day, Spike was very active. He loved running around for hours and playing with his tennis ball. At night, he would go upstairs to sleep with his family. "He loves to cuddle and tries to get under the blankets to be as close as he can," Morris said.
Now Spike is 14 years old and moves much slower. Morris and her parents were scared they might lose him when Spike had two strokes. But the loyal dog wasn't ready to leave his family yet.
After his second stroke, Spike couldn't stand for several days. Morris and her parents had to carry him everywhere. But the old dog was determined to get better and learned how to walk again.
However, Spike still isn't strong enough to safely use the stairs. So, his family had to block off his favorite spot — the bedroom.
They knew Spike would still try to climb the stairs to sleep with them, even with his weak legs. So, they put up the gate again and came up with a plan to keep their old dog happy.
Now, someone from Spike's family sleeps on the pull-out couch with him every night. This makes sure he won't try to jump over the gate. "This started when I was away at college, so my parents took turns sleeping downstairs with Spike," Morris said. "Since I moved back home, I help too. Now we all get more sleep since there are three of us."
Spike's dad takes extra care to make sure his old dog is comfortable at night.
"They can't be separated," Morris said. "My dad calls him 'old bean' and they're always talking to each other."
"My dad also brings Spike his food and water to the couch and feeds him by hand. This makes sure he takes his medicine and stays strong," she added.
It's clear that Spike loves his family more than anything. And his family will do whatever it takes to keep him happy for the rest of his life.
"We love our old boy so much and are so happy to have him," Morris said. "We hope we've made up for his rough start in life by giving him all the love in the world."