Now that's a baby boom! Just one litter of 10 rare Stabyhoun puppies more than DOUBLED the British population of the breed

Rikje, 5, gave birth to three female and seven male pups

The litter of Stabyhouns is the first ever to be born in the UK

There are just 5,000 in the world making it in the top five rarest dog breeds

She looks every inch the proud mother - but Rikje's pups are no common-or-garden litter.



The 10 new arrivals are the first Stabyhouns to be born in the UK- and have at a stroke doubled the British population of one of the rarest dog breeds in the world.



Before Rikje, 5, gave birth there were just seven Stabyhouns living here.

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Perfect pups: Rikje the Stabyhoun - one of the rarest breeds of dog in the world - gave birth to 10 pups in Britain, more than doubling the population in the UK

All told there are just 5,000 of the breed, making it one of the five rarest in the world.



And strict breeding rules mean another litter will not be born in Britain until at least 2015.

Her owner, Janice Vittachi, who moved to the UK from Canada two years ago, bought the rare dog in Denmark after finding out about the breed online.



Ms Vittachi, who now lives in Teddington, Middlesex, took Rikje to Holland to be impregnated. She then helped her deliver three female and seven male puppies, which will sell for up to £950 each.

Ms Vittachi said: ‘It all went very well although it seemed to take forever. She is doing quite well now.



Count to 10: Stabyhoun owner Janice Vittachi holds two of the pups which can fetch £950 each. There are only 5,000 in the world

Pups-a-plenty: This is the first ever litter of Stabyhouns to be born in the UK and there will not be another until at least 2015

‘There is not much that I have to do for them but I have spent most of my waking hours counting to 10. Every now and then one will move off but mum does most of the work.’

The puppies' names have been inspired by Friesland, the province in North Holland where the breed originates from. The puppies’ names are Janneke, Kike, Laanke, Mork, Ninke, Ouke, Pylgrim, Rembrandt, Sander, and Tynke.

The Danish-born dog had her first litter of eight puppies in North America, where she lived previously, before coming to England in 2011.

Her second litter have all been sold to families who will take home their new pets in November.

Ms Vittachi launched the UK Stabyhoun Association with Christina Savage.

International undertaking: Ms Vittachi bought Rikje in Denmark and had her impregnated in Holland before the dog gave birth in Teddington, Middlesex

Ms Savage said: ‘The arrival of the first ever British Stabyhoun litter is truly wonderful.

‘It marks a real milestone in our quest to establish a healthy and diverse population of this amazing breed in the UK.

'Behind the scenes, this litter has been almost a year in the planning as the central Dutch Stabyhoun Association sought out the most appropriate male based on extensive genetic background checks and health records.

‘The mating only went ahead when we were sure that there were loving homes waiting upon their arrival.

‘Those are the core principles of responsible breeding that we ask our members to subscribe to for the benefit of every single puppy and the breed as a whole.

'The UK Stabyhoun Association manages all sales and imports of Stabyhoun puppies in the UK and we operate a strict application process for these special dogs. As such, people will not find any of these puppies advertised for sale anywhere in England.'



HOLLAND'S 'NATIONAL TREASURE': STABYHOUN IN THE WORLD'S TOP FIVE RAREST DOG BREEDS

Also known as the Frisian Pointer or Friese Stabij and is classed as a spaniel-type pointer.

Thought to be so rare because it is an all-rounder breed but not an expert at any particular skill and so not as sought-after, Ms Savage said. It is also a relatively new breed, only established officially in 1942.



Has a gentle nature similar to Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Spaniels and Duck Tolling Retrievers.

Described as a ‘national treasure’ in the Netherlands, where the breed originates.

The breed is found in the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, America and most recently in the UK.

The dog is either black and white or brown and white.

Their life expectancy is 13 to 14 years.

To stop inbreeding, associations including The Dutch Association for Stabyhouns and Wetterhouns, keep breeding to a minimum, carefully considering pairings before allowing matings.

Descriptions of the Stabyhoun date back to the early 1800s when it was described as a gundog. It was used to hunt foxes, small game and birds and was known for its mole catching skills.

Traditionally the dogs were owner only by farmers, used for hunting and as guard dogs.

They are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America.





