Kokova Magazine

We all know that a dog is for life not just for Christmas but how many parents will be feeling pressurised by their children who want a puppy this Christmas?

According to Hamleys' prediction of the Top Ten Most Wanted, this year puppies are well and truly at the top of the list - but parents can breathe a sigh of relief because these puppies are toys - and for many children they will be a lot more practical than the real thing.

TEKSTA PUPPY - Teksta is a lifelike robotic puppy that responds to your voice, physical gestures, lights and sounds. Engineered with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, Teksta's toyetic interaction offers many emotions including barking, crying, whimpering, and expressive eye patterns to share its feelings.

You can not only command Teksta to stop and sit but also teach it to perform its most spectacular trick of all, a backflip! Teksta will excite and inspire children of all ages. Bone and ball accessories included. Suitable for ages 5+ Teksta Puppy retails for £75.00 at Hamleys.

VIP PETS - VIP pets are the coolest and cutest pets around. They all want the best VIP treatment and need help from their stylists to brush their hair and become the ones who will shine the most for the flashes of the Paparazzi cameras. Nyla is bohemian and loves nature. Alex is a professional photographer and has a passion for books and the arts. Juliet is a romantic novelist and loves creating stories. Gwen is all about the rock and roll. Lady Gigi is a famous party planner and loves to be the centre of attention - but can be a bit bossy! Taylor is a top sport star and loves to try any new sport. Help them rock their style!
+ VIP Pets retails for £14 at Hamleys.

Of course, not all children want puppies and some are more than happy to have a humble goldfish as a pet. Well now you can even get your very own imitation fish toy. Robo Fish has taken the world by storm and has already become one of the fastest selling toys of all time. Once Robo Fish is dropped into water, an intelligent sensor on the body detects the change in environment and without hesitation it will imitate the swimming patterns of a real fish.

Not only will it change direction, Robo Fish will dive down to feed and rise to the top, darting along the surface all thanks to the micro robotic circuitry. There are eight different Robo Fish to collect, four types of colourful clown fish and four different menacing cybernetic sharks. Suitable for ages 3+ Robo Fish retails for £14 at Hamleys.

So if you are being 'hounded' into buying a puppy for Christmas and really cannot offer one a life-long home then maybe a trip to Hamleys could save the day. For more information and to find these toys online visit www.hamleys.com

If you are considering buying a real puppy for Christmas then please make sure you can offer it a life-long home. Advice and fact sheets can be found from a number of reputable organisations including: -

RSPCA - Buying a Puppy
Dogs Trust - Buying a Dog
Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding - Buying a Puppy