They had been taken from a kennel, just outside the back door of their home on the outskirts of Montrose, containing a litter of seven.

The couple reckon the thieves pounced in the early hours.

“We had given the puppies their last feed at midnight,” said Mr Duffy.

“We had gone to bed after that, but it was a night of pouring rain and other than the rain we heard nothing.”

The couple guess two of the dogs were left behind because the thieves hadn’t been able to carry all of them at once.

The six-week-old puppies had just been moved from the house into the kennel.

“From five feeds a day, they have recently been reduced to four feeds, and it is vital that routine continues and they are given a proper puppy diet,” said Mr Duffy.

Three dogs, two black and one brown, and two bitches, one brown and the other black, were stolen.

One of them had been earmarked for stardom as a future prizewinner in the showring.

The couple have been showing Newfoundland dogs for 10 years and have produced several winners at Crufts. They moved from Guthrie, near Forfar, to their Montrose home a year ago.

“We really treasure the dogs and can hardly believe this has happened,” said Mr Duffy.

“We would appeal to anyone who knows anything at all about this, or who knows of somebody suddenly taking delivery of a Newfoundland puppy, to contact the police immediately.”

A police spokesman said, “We would appeal to anyone who may have been in the area and who may have seen anything suspicious to contact us on 01307 302200.”