Twenty-four hours later, the new mum was celebrating the arrival of 15 new babies – six short of the world record.

It has all comes as something of a shock to owners Gemma Caroll, 24, Mark Bibby, 38, who could not quite believe how the new arrivals just kept coming.

Now the family, including daughter Charlotte, 11, of Ewesley Road, Sunderland, have found themselves with a few more mouths to feed.

The three-year-old pedigree actually had 18 pups, but sadly, three did not survive.

The healthy pups have kept Izzie busy with more mouths to feed than she could manage so Charlotte, of Houghton Kepier School, dad Mark and his partner Gemma have been lending a helping hand with bottled milk.

Izzie had nine blue pups, five dogs and four bitches and eight black pups, six bitches and two dogs.

Gemma, a customer accounts manager for City Financial, said: "It is just crazy. We never expected her to have so many, but mum's doing great.

"She looked very thin after she had given birth, but obviously with 18 puppies inside her, everything she ate was going straight into them.

"My friend who works at a restaurant has been saving all the leftovers for her and she's been eating all of them so she's back on form now."

Mark, a self employed property developer, originally bought Izzie as a present for his daughter, but then decided to breed from her.

Each puppy is expected to fetch more then £750 because they are pedigree and Izzie and the father come from families of champions.

The litter has started eating solids and exhausted mum is managing to get a bit more rest. But as the puppies get stronger, the family know they will become more of a handful.

Gemma said: "We are in the process of registering them with the Kennel Club and hoping to sell them all, but we will be very picky about the home the puppies go to.

"Great Danes are fantastic dogs and they are gentle giants. Izzie weighs eight-and-a-half stone and she makes a great guard dog because she has a big bark on her, but she has never gone for any of us."

The pups will be ready to go to their new homes in two weeks. For more information, tel: 07786 622561.