The year 2000 was a weird time for toys. We were fresh off the Y2K scare, everyone was suddenly obsessed with the "future," and for some reason, we decided that real dogs just weren't cutting it anymore. We needed chrome. We needed red LED eyes. We needed the robot dog from 2000.
If you grew up back then, you remember the hype. It wasn't just one toy; it was an entire mechanical invasion. You had the high-end, "I’m definitely richer than you" Sony AIBO on one end, and the "my parents found this at Walmart for $25" Poo-Chi on the other.
Honestly, looking back at them now in 2026, they look like relics. But at the time? They were peak tech. They represented this specific moment where Silicon Valley and the toy industry convinced us that a hunk of plastic with a tilting head could actually be our "best friend."
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The Poo-Chi Craze: 10 Million Dogs in Eight Months
Let's talk about the one everyone actually had: Poo-Chi.
Released in April 2000 by Hasbro’s Tiger Electronics (the same people who gave us the nightmare-inducing Furby), Poo-Chi was everywhere. It didn't walk. It didn't fetch. Basically, it just stood there, wiggled its ears, and made "bip-bip-boop" noises that were supposed to be barks.
But it sold like crazy. 10 million units in less than a year.
Why? Because it was cheap—retailing for about $24.99. It had those iconic red LED eyes that changed into hearts when it was "happy." You "fed" it a plastic bone that had a magnet in it, which triggered a sensor in its mouth. Simple? Yes. Addictive for a seven-year-old? Absolutely.
There’s a reason Poo-Chi dominated. It was the "gateway" robot. You didn't need a computer science degree to figure it out, and you didn't need to mortgage your house to buy one. It eventually spawned a whole universe of "Robo-Chi" pets, including cats (Meow-Chi), birds (Chirpy-Chi), and even a weirdly aggressive robotic dinosaur.
Sony AIBO ERS-210: The $1,500 Luxury Puppy
While we were all playing with our $25 Poo-Chis, Sony was busy building a masterpiece. In November 2000, they dropped the AIBO ERS-210.
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This wasn't a toy. It was a 64-bit RISC processor on four legs.
The ERS-210 is widely considered the most iconic model in the AIBO lineage. It looked less like a dog and more like a futuristic fox or a lion cub. It had 20 degrees of freedom, which is nerd-speak for "it could move a lot of joints." It could sit, stay, roll over, and actually recognize its owner's voice.
"The ERS-210 was supposed to be a lion cub, but it ended up looking like a Bull Terrier from the year 3000." — A common sentiment among collectors today.
Here’s the thing that most people forget: the AIBO actually "grew up." If you bought the "AIBO Life" software (which was sold separately on a Memory Stick), the robot started as a puppy and developed a personality based on how you treated it. If you ignored it, it got cranky. If you praised it, it became more obedient. It was basically a Tamagotchi you could actually trip over in the hallway.
Tekno: The Middle Child of the Robot Dog World
If Poo-Chi was the budget option and AIBO was the Ferrari, Tekno the Robotic Puppy (known as Teksta outside the US) was the reliable mid-range sedan.
Released late in 2000 by ToyQuest, Tekno was kind of a beast. It cost about $39.99 and actually walked. It had light sensors in its head, so it knew when you were "petting" it or when the lights went out. It would even "whine" if you left it alone too long.
Tekno was a massive success, selling 7 million units in its first season. It even landed on the cover of Time magazine. Think about that for a second. A plastic dog that did backflips was a bigger news story than almost anything else that year.
Why the Trend Died (And Then Came Back)
By 2002, the novelty was wearing off. The batteries died too fast. The "beeping" barks started to drive parents insane. Hasbro moved on to FurReal Friends, which traded the chrome-and-LED aesthetic for fake fur and "lifelike" movements.
But these 2000-era robots did something important. They proved that humans are incredibly willing to project emotions onto machines.
Researchers at Purdue University actually studied how seniors in care homes interacted with AIBO. They found that even though people knew it was a robot, they still treated it like a living thing. They talked to it. They felt bad for it. This paved the way for the modern "social robots" and AI companions we see today.
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Tips for Today's Collectors
If you still have one of these sitting in your attic, don't just throw it in the trash. The market for vintage robot dogs is surprisingly active.
- Check the Battery Compartment: This is the #1 killer of 2000-era tech. If you left AA batteries in your Poo-Chi for 25 years, they’ve likely leaked acid and ruined the terminals. Clean it with white vinegar and a Q-tip.
- The "Supercore" Holy Grail: If you have a Sony AIBO ERS-210, check the underside for a "Supercore" logo. These models had a faster 384MHz CPU and are highly sought after by developers and collectors.
- Don't Force the Joints: Old plastic gets brittle. If your Tekno isn't walking, don't try to force the legs to move. You’ll snap the internal gears, and finding replacement parts involves cannibalizing other "dead" robots.
The robot dog from 2000 wasn't just a fad; it was a trial run for our future. We were testing out what it felt like to have "AI" in our living rooms. Today, we have Boston Dynamics' Spot and sophisticated AI pets, but they all owe a debt to a little silver dog with heart-shaped eyes that ran on four AA batteries and a whole lot of imagination.
To get started with your own nostalgia trip, try searching for "AIBO ERS-210 repair forums" or look for "Poo-Chi 2000" on auction sites to see just how much these plastic pups are fetching today. If you're looking to buy one, always ask for a video of the robot in "autonomous mode" to ensure the motors haven't seized up over the last two decades.