u/Driftwoodia

So I bought one of those fancy lidar robot vacuums a few weeks ago thinking it would make my life easier because keeping up with the shedding from my 10 year old golden mix is basically a full time job at this point. He is usually the most chill dog on the planet and honestly he barely looks up when the actual upright vacuum is running right next to his head. But for some reason this little circular puck has become his mortal enemy and I am at my wits end. Every time the thing undocks and starts its cleaning cycle he goes into full guardian mode and just stands like a statue right in front of the bedroom door or whatever doorway it is trying to pass through. He doesnt growl or snap or anything aggressive like that he just stares it down with this intense focus and refuses to move an inch.

The vacuum just bumps into his legs and tries to go around but he just sidesteps to block it again. It would be kind of funny if it wasnt so disruptive to the whole house. Now the robot just gives up half the time and goes back to the base because it thinks the "obstacle" is permanent or it gets stuck in a loop trying to find a path. I tried the whole positive reinforcement thing with high value treats whenever the vacuum is moving but he is so hyper focused on the bot that he wont even look at a piece of steak. He just watches it like it is going to explode or steal his soul or something. It has gotten to the point where I have to lock him in the backyard just so the living room can get vacuumed which kind of defeats the purpose of having an automated schedule.

I am worried that this constant "patrolling" is stressing him out too much since he is an older guy and he should be napping instead of playing security guard against a piece of plastic. I even tried putting a little hat on the vacuum to see if making it look less like a weird alien disc would help but he just looked even more offended. Has anyone else dealt with a senior dog suddenly deciding that a specific piece of tech is a threat to the household safety . I really dont want to return the thing because my floors have never looked better but I also dont want my dog thinking he is on 24/7 sentry duty against a vacuum cleaner.

I woke up today with this weird heavy feeling in my chest and I couldnt really figure out why until I walked into the kitchen and saw the cat sitting by the window looking for someone who isnt coming back anytime soon . Its been a few weeks since the house felt this quiet and I am still not used to the way the air just feels different when you are effectively alone with your thoughts after years of constant noise and movement . I spent most of the morning staring at my laptop screen trying to focus on these bim models but every time I look at a complex structural detail I just think about how fragile everything actually is when the foundation shifts even a little bit .

I keep telling myself that the routine is good and that staying busy with work and gaming with the guys later will fix the mood but then I find a random hair tie or a note on the fridge and it just resets the whole clock . My sister called earlier to ask if I wanted to come over for dinner but I just made up some excuse about having a massive deadline because I honestly dont have the energy to pretend like I am fine and engage in small talk right now . I think I am just going to sit here in the dark for a bit and listen to the rain hit the roof because at least that sound is consistent and doesnt ask anything of me . Sometimes the quiet is a choice but today it feels more like a weight that I am just forced to carry until I eventually fall asleep and do it all over again tomorrow .