Have you seen the Barbie Newborn Pups Doll and Pets? This doll comes in blonde or brunette (Mattel’s way of indicating she has brown skin). Why the blonde set is more expensive may be due to overstock, but as one commenter on Amazon stated it seems to imply one skin color has some value over the other. For the record, Mattel lists the products at the same price.

Putting aside the skin color options, the abundance of plastic, and the extreme choking hazard, just what is this toy teaching children?

Are you ready to have the conversation about where do babies (puppies) come from?

Honesty from the start is important. This toy confuses the issue. The gaping hole in the mother dog’s stomach and the way she just pops them out when you press down on her head all lead to confusion.  Did Barbie give the dog a c-section? 

How long do you think the novelty of the dog plopping out tiny puppies will take to wear off? The color reveals of the puppies’ gender works one time. This toy is just more plastic junk even without considering the issues that surround it. 

Puppies are born out a dog’s vagina, just like human babies. Puppies are breastfed, just like human babies. How will Barbie care for the puppies after they are born? How will she find them good homes? 

Of course, Barbie herself is not anatomically correct so expecting her dog to be may be too much. 

Other criticisms of this product include the fact pet overpopulation is a huge issue.  Dogs are euthanized in shelters every day.  Are you ready to have that conversation with your preschooler?

This toy offends on so many levels, like many other Barbie toys. There are a lot of lessons that could be learned with this toy, but I doubt most families and children are having the conversation. This lesson could be better taught by visiting an animal shelter.  

Birth is a natural process. Children should learn about it correctly. Pet overpopulation and irresponsible breeding are real problems.  Children should learn about it correctly. Skin color does not affect value.  Children should learn about it correctly.