These five adorable puppies have provided fresh hope for Britain's most endangered dog breed.
There are now fewer Glen of Imaals dogs than giant pandas in the world, and experts fear the Irish hounds could be wiped out within 10 years.
With just 25 breeding bitches left, the future of the terriers has never been more precarious.
The once popular breed has been dismissed in favour of more fashionable "designer" dogs. Thanks to celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, pet-owners would rather own foreign mutts such as Chihuahuas.
Just 36 Glen of Imaals puppies were born last year, meaning the terrier has now been put at the top of the Kennel Club's vulnerable dogs list.This compares with a whopping 45,000 Labrador puppies that were registered with the club during 2007. But the arrival of five puppies born at the home of breeder Jane Withers has sparked fresh optimism in the dog world.
It is hoped the puppies will not only find a good home but will be bred from in the future to preserve the species.
Mrs Withers, from Granary Kennels in Newbury, Berks, said: "I have currently got one dog and three bitch puppies, which is fantastic."They have already been reserved and hopefully their new owners will go on to have a litter of puppies themselves."Glen of Imaal terriers used to be extremely popular centuries ago but in recent years they have been hanging around near the top of the vulnerable breeds list."They are now number one and I imagine it is because people would rather have a little dog like Paris Hilton's Chihuahua or a trendy Labradoodle."Glen of Imaal terriers were first bred in County Wicklow, south east Ireland, as far back as the 16th Century. The Irish terriers only grow 14 inches high and their bodies can reach 21 inches.Their low level made them ideal for hunting out fox holes and badger sets and for passing through gorse and heather.
Mrs Withers said: "Glen of Imaal terriers were originally used as general purpose farm dogs - they could be trained to kill anything. Then over the years more people started having them as pets and they were very popular. But now there are only a handful of breeders left in the country and only 36 puppies were registered last year."People just don't know about them any more which is a shame because they are lovely dogs. They only grow to 14 inches but are like a big dog in a small dog's body.
"The average adult weight of a Glen of Imaal is 55lbs yet a West Highland terrier is only about 30lbs. Their coats come in wheat, red and blue brindle and they don't actually moult. Once or twice a year you have to strip them - this means pulling the dead hair out of their new coats."We call Glen of Imaal's 'spare part dogs' because they look like they have all different bits of other breeds in them. But they are lovely and make very loyal pets that can live up to 15 years."
Paul Keevil, of the Kennel Club's vulnerable breeds committee said he is delighted that Mrs Withers has bred five rare puppies."They have now been placed at number one of our vulnerable dogs list so the news of five puppies being born is excellent," he said."All of them are nice and healthy so our next aim is to get them on to breeders who can help increase the population."
