I highly recommend giving a dog collar, dog bed and dog outfits to the family dogs. However, getting a puppy for Christmas is more problematical. I recently wrote and article for Buzzle.com in which I discussed in length the issue of giving someone a teacup puppy for Christmas. While I don't want to reprint that article, but I do want to make a couple of points. Teacup dogs are smaller than the recommendations for the breed. While a Maltese may be 6-10 pounds, a teacup Maltese may be 4-6 pounds.
Finding a reputable teacup dog breeder is very difficult. Many breeders use terrible tactics to have a small puppy, including barely feeding the mother, then allowing the new puppy to not feed as long as it wants. Tiny puppies may, however grow into larger dogs, and if an owner believes they are getting a tiny dog, and that dog does not meet expectations, the owner may be very unhappy, and unhappy owners are not good Pet Parents.
Tiny puppies, whether teacup or not, can be very needy and a bustling household, children wound up with excitement, and a general lack of calm may prove disastrous for a new puppy. They often are like premature babies, and need regular feeding, temperature monitoring (if the ears are cold, puppy is cold), and plenty of rest. Families getting a Christmas puppy must realize that the new puppy should not be the one to do the adapting, that the family must be mindful to the puppy's needs.
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