A DUMBARTON dog is believed to be only the second in the world set to give birth to identical twin puppies.

Five year old Siberian Husky Shadow is expecting a set of identical twins with two-year-old Niko of the same breed.

Owner Kymberley Ogilvie was over the moon when she found out the news after seeing the scan for the first time.

It was confirmed that Shadow was carrying a pair of identical twins on June 2.

She told the Reporter: “I got Shadow when she was six months old. I know Jennifer (Niko’s owner) through an old school friend and we have become really good friends because of this.

"We agreed that we wanted to mate them so we used artificial insemination.

"It was during the third session that the two dogs tied.

“We saw the scan and saw two flickering heartbeats. We found out she was carrying six pups but five sacs.

"The fertility woman was astonished. I tried to research it and I came to realise how rare this is and how amazing this is.”

Non-identical twins, often classed as fraternal twins, are common in many species, like dogs and rabbits.

However, identical offspring are believed to be extremely rare.

This is because when two foetuses share one placenta, they do not get enough nutrients from the mother and are therefore less likely to survive.

The 29-year-old said: “The fertility woman said that when they are born they are going to be the exact same.

"So you can imagine it will be difficult to tell them apart.

“We can’t wait to meet the new pups. This will be her first and last she will breed so this makes it extra special.”

The first case of identical twins was reported in South Africa with a pair of Irish wolfhounds in 2016.

However Kymberley wants the twins to stay together in their new home.

She said: “We really want the twins to go together. It was a really hard decision but we decided we want to keep them together which means they won’t be going to just anybody.

“They will be going to someone who has experience with this breed of dog and knows the training they need.

"They are a high maintenance dog for a first-time owner.

“Shadow and Niko are outstanding. They are a perfect example of the breed so I hope whoever gets the pups fall in love with them.”

Shadow is due to give birth to her pups on July 7.