1st Military Working Dog Regiment

Our Veterinary Officers manage our military working animal capability and lead soldiers in their command. Veterinary Officers are employed as Troop Commanders, a role which sees them lead and manage MWD Handlers.

They are also employed within the 1 MWD Regiment Veterinary Hospital as veterinary clinicians. Veterinary Officers are responsible for MWDs’ health and welfare, ensuring they are fit to deploy around the world to complete their role. 

The Veterinary Officers provide routine and emergency care to the MWDs both in barracks and deployed. They also conduct emergency first aid veterinary training for the MWD handlers to ensure that the highest level of care is available for our dogs when on task.

Our Veterinary Technicians take care of MWDs alongside our highly skilled Veterinary Officers,  working in a dedicated and well-equipped Veterinary Clinic and dispensary. It is a small clinic of three vets and five veterinary nurses, with a senior vet and hospital manager, responsible for the health and welfare of the Regiment's 125 Military Working Dogs.

As qualified Registered Veterinary Nurses our Veterinary Technicians complete a range of tasks including nurse consultations, dental and weight check-ups, wound and bandage care, as well as strength and conditioning and physiotherapy.

Veterinary Technicians also support operations and exercises, providing care to our MWDs wherever they are in the world.

MWDs provide the Commander with an additional level of assurance during routine patrolling or deliberate Strike Ops and allow freedom of movement through an area of responsibility. They can be used to search in urban and rural areas, buildings, compounds, vehicles, routes, roads, railways, and personal effects to detect the presence of weapons, explosives, and ammunition.

AES can assist in searching at Vehicle Check Points, Incident Control Points, Helicopter Landing Sites, and cordon positions. The majority of Arms Explosive Search dogs at 1 MWD Regt are Labradors and spaniels.

MWDs operate within a Defence Advance Search Team and provide a stand-off detect capability of Improvised Explosive Devices during high-risk search operations. They deliver a high intensity slow and systematic search of a given area. 

HAS dogs can be used to search routes, train lines, vulnerable points, vulnerable areas, and building/compound exteriors. The majority of High Assurance Search dogs at 1 MWD Regiment are Belgian Malinois.

MWDs are primarily a Force Protection asset, they provide commanders with a high-profile visual deterrent that can detect, pursue, and detain an intruder with sub lethal force. Patrol dogs use their visual, audio, and olfactory senses to highlight the presence of enemy forces or unidentified personnel within an area of responsibility.

They can be employed in the following scenarios: static or patrolling sentry, within an ambush, crowd control or as an escort for detainees. The majority of Patrol dogs at 1 MWD Regt are Belgian Malinois and German Shephard Dogs.

101 Military Working Dog Squadron is the only Army Reserve unit of its kind in the British Army, and it is co-located with the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment (RAVC) establishment in North Luffenham.                                                                                                                                               

We recruit from all over the UK and have a more unique role than other reserve units, we recruit people with specialist skills but will train individuals with no previous experience in Military or Service dog handling and husbandry. As a Reservist you will get paid for the time you spend training, and your minimum training commitment will be 19 days a year, there are also subsidies that will pay for food while you are on duty and travel to the unit plus many more benefits.

When you join the Army Reserve, you will get involved in everything that the Regular Army counterpart does - You'll be given the opportunity to gain experience and new skills, make new friends and can take advantage of opportunities - like adventurous training.

Many Reservists are employed and fit the Army Reserve around their 9-5 jobs. For further information regarding joining our reserves please email: [email protected] 

When it comes to the time to retire our MWDs we look for the most suitable home for them. We assess each dog’s needs on a case-by-case basis to find the best home for them to have a happy retirement. 

At the heart of any decision about a dog’s new home is that their health, welfare, and behavioural needs are met in both the short and long-term by prospective owners. For further information on availability of retired MWDs and their rehoming criteria, please contact the rehoming team by email: [email protected]