Verified means checked
Every price checked against the maker's own store on the date on the page (September 5, 2026). Specs from manufacturer pages and manuals.
Not tested yet, we say so
Product pages are research-based. Hands-on sections arrive as we buy units, starting with Joy for All and Loona.
Evidence from the papers
Trials, meta-analyses and reviews linked where used. Null and negative findings reported alongside positive ones.
Money never moves a ranking
Some links are affiliate links. Picks are decided first; several top picks pay us nothing. Full disclosure →
Why this site exists
We started this site because the top search results for "robot dog for elderly parent" were buying guides written by the company that makes one of the robots, a law-firm blog, and a store page. None of them said that Tombot Jennie is not shipping, that the best-studied option costs $160, or that people with severe agitation responded poorly in the largest trial. We wanted the page we could not find.
What "verified" means
Every price on this site was checked against the manufacturer's own store or press release on the date printed on the page (currently September 5, 2026). We record the list price and any sale price we saw, and we say when a price is disputed (Sony aibo) or unpublished (Tombot Jennie, PARO). We do not scrape Amazon; Amazon prices move daily and we link you there to see the current one.
Specs — battery, weight, sensors, whether an app or Wi-Fi is required, subscription terms, warranty — come from manufacturer pages and manuals. When a manufacturer does not publish a figure, we say "not published" rather than guessing. When two official sources disagree, we say so.
What we have not done yet
We have not tested every product hands-on. As of the date above, product pages are research-based: manufacturer specifications, published reviews from outlets that did test the unit, and owner reports from caregiver forums. We are buying units — starting with the Joy for All pets and Loona — and hands-on sections will appear on product pages as we complete them, clearly labeled with the date and what we did. Until then, a page that says "owners report" means owners, not us.
Where the evidence comes from
The dementia guide and the facilities page draw on peer-reviewed studies: cluster-randomized trials, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, and implementation studies, each linked at the point of use. We read the papers, not the press releases, and we report null and negative findings alongside positive ones. Program statistics from state agencies are labeled as self-reported. Company claims are labeled as company claims.
Caregiver problems and tips are paraphrased from public posts on r/dementia, r/AgingParents, r/Alzheimers, AgingCare.com, the Alzheimer's Association's ALZConnected forum, the Alzheimer's Society (UK) forum, and Mumsnet, 2016–2026. We never quote usernames.
What we leave out
We do not list products we cannot verify a price or an official channel for, which excludes most no-name animatronic pets on Amazon. We do not rank by star ratings we did not generate. We do not accept payment for placement, and no manufacturer has reviewed this site before publication.
How we make money
Some links are affiliate links (Amazon Associates and, where a manufacturer offers one, a direct program). If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate status never changes a ranking or a recommendation — several of our top picks (Joy for All through its own store, PARO, Tombot) pay us nothing. Full disclosure →
Corrections
If a price, spec, or claim on this site is wrong, tell us through the contact form. We fix errors within a few days and note the change on the page.