1st Military Working Dog Regiment

30/09/2026

🐾 A new home for some very special members of the British Army. 🇬🇧

The Princess Royal has officially opened the new £77 million veterinary and welfare facilities on Tuesday for the regiment at Kendrew Barracks in Cottesmore.

The state-of-the-art facilities include surgical suites, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy areas, alongside modern kennels designed around the welfare of the Army’s military working dogs.

During her visit, Princess Anne met military working dogs and their handlers, watched training demonstrations and saw some of the specialist veterinary rehabilitation facilities in action.

A significant investment in the health, welfare and operational support of the MWDs that serve alongside their handlers. 🐕‍🦺

The new facilities for the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment include surgical suites, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy areas, plus new kennels

16/09/2026

This Saturday (19 Sep 26), the Defence Animal Training Regiment is hosting the annual Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) Reunion.

An event poster is attached with all the timings / details for those attending the event.

Serving RAVC Personnel & RAVC Veterans will gather for a parade, formal service, annual meeting, lunch & most importantly; social event!

Along with the usual fireside chat from the Chief Veterinary & Remount Officer, this year will also re-establish the RAVC Awards. A lucky list of RAVC personnel will be formally recognised & receive bespoke Corps Awards for exceptional work!

We are very thankful to all of our RAVC Personnel & immensely proud of our Veterans. We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday!

1st Military Working Dog Regiment
Royal Army Veterinary Corps

11/09/2026

Well done all 👏

03/09/2026

Ivan – Lovable, Energetic Belgian Malinois Looking for an Experienced Home

Ivan is a loving, energetic Belgian Malinois seeking a committed, experienced home that understands the breed and is willing to continue his training. Ivan is incredibly affectionate toward people he trusts and friendly toward other dogs. He has lots of energy and will thrive with someone who enjoys training and giving him both mental and physical stimulation. Ivan does have some ongoing behavioural work on reacting to vehicles, which is improving well with positive reinforcement, and he’ll need someone prepared to continue building on that progress. Ivan is a dog who loves having a job to do. He's highly motivated by his Kong toy and absolutely loves games where you hide it for him to sniff it out.

Ivan has two main areas where he will need continued support: his reactivity to vehicles and his confidence in the vets. Through consistent positive training, he has made fantastic progress with passing cars and is now able to walk past them calmly without reacting in many situations. He has also worked hard on his vet confidence and now accepts veterinary treatment in a calm, quiet environment with experienced professionals who understand he can be reactive.

Ivan needs an experienced, mature owner who is committed to giving him the time, patience and support he deserves, and his new home must be able to provide:

Continued positive-reinforcement training.
Ongoing conditioning around vehicles.
Support with food-related issues.
Calm, carefully managed introductions to new people, as he can be nervous.
Appropriate use of his muzzle, which he is comfortable wearing.
A home where he will not be tethered.
A household with no children.

Could you give Ivan the understanding and secure retirement home he needs?

Ivan isn’t the right fit for a first-time owner, but in the right home he has the potential to be an incredibly loyal and rewarding companion. He’s already making great progress and deserves someone who will continue helping him build his confidence.

Could you offer Ivan a loving and suitable retirement home? If you believe you can meet his rehoming requirements, please email [email protected] and express your interest in Ivan.
Military Working Dogs

02/09/2026

Very deserving finalists.

Congratulations to our two finalists for the Military Dog Medal of Honour! 🏅🐾

We’re incredibly proud to celebrate two extraordinary Military Working Dogs whose courage, dedication and service have made an incredible contribution to protecting others.

Military Working Dog Paul – A five-year-old English Springer Spaniel and Arms and Explosives Search Dog with the Royal Air Force Police, Paul completed more than four years of exceptional service and over 75 high-profile operational tasks. He supported major events including The King’s Coronation and numerous royal and ministerial visits, working alongside partner organisations to help keep people safe. Paul was responsible for six confirmed finds of explosives, weapons and am******on and was awarded the prestigious Lady Kemball Trophy alongside his handler. Despite retiring following an injury sustained during operational duties, Paul’s career stands as a remarkable example of courage, professionalism and devotion to duty. ❤️

Military Working Dog Twitter – Twitter demonstrated extraordinary courage during a deployment to Paris in July 2024, where she and her handler were tasked with searching key venues ahead of a major rowing event. While searching a complex area, Twitter fell approximately 4–5 metres, suffering a serious elbow injury. Despite the pain, she remained calm and cooperative while receiving emergency treatment before being transported to a veterinary hospital. Following surgery and further treatment in the UK, her injury was unfortunately found to be irreparable and she underwent an amputation. Throughout her ordeal, Twitter showed remarkable resilience and determination, embodying the bravery and dedication of a Military Working Dog. ❤️

Two extraordinary dogs, two incredible stories and two very worthy finalists. 🏅🐾

Read their full stories and discover more about this year’s finalists here:
https://www.servicedogsuk.org/uksdca-military-dog-finalists/

Join us at this uplifting event next month to celebrate our finalists and winners, get your tickets now: https://donorbox.org/events/906558/steps/choose_tickets

Foundation for Retired Service Animals - NFRSA

02/09/2026

Building on previous environmental desensitisation training around rotary-wing aircraft, the Cyprus Military Working Dog (MWD) Troop progressed to boarding and flying in a Chinook helicopter with their MWDs.

The flight was delivered by 18(B) Squadron RAF, operating from RAF Akrotiri. The visit also included a squadron tour and demonstrations of MWD capabilities for RAF personnel.

A great example of inter-service training and interoperability across Cyprus. 🇬🇧🐕🚁

26/08/2026

On International Dog Day, we celebrate our Military Working Dogs, the dedicated handlers who serve alongside them, and every other dog.

For us, built on trust, discipline, and countless hours of training, the bond between a handler and their dog is unlike any other. These remarkable teams detect threats, protect personnel, support missions, and save lives, making the world a better place.

Today, we recognise the courage, loyalty, and service found at both ends of the lead.

18/08/2026

Our Veterinary Officers and Veterinary Nurses took part in a two-day training session at a local farm in Oakham, with support from Farm Vet Services, to re-engage with farm animal veterinary skills, including feeding, practical handling, clinical skills sessions, and blood sampling.

The 1MWD Veterinary team also learned how to manage disease outbreaks and the role of disease management in national food production resilience. This is a key component of their role in Deployable Veterinary Care under the One Health framework.

20/07/2026

Why not visit our stand at the Royal Welsh Show, from today until Thursday.

29/06/2026

Our Military Working Dogs and their handlers from the Regiment have been integrated with Hackle Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, in the Forward Land Forces (Estonia) Battlegroup since April, supporting the Infantry in a Section Dog capability development programme.

During Exercise SPRING STORM, the patrol dogs lived and operated alongside their handlers from Warrior infantry fighting vehicles throughout extended road moves and tactical activities, providing an additional layer of assurance, force protection and plenty of morale across the Company.

The team also trialled new tactics, techniques and procedures during Hackle Company's battle camp exercise and Exercise TRENCH CRAWL. Section Commanders worked closely with the handlers, capturing valuable lessons that will help shape the future development of the Infantry Section Dog capability.

Making the most of every opportunity across the Battlegroup, the team also spent a day on the 8th Assault Engineer Squadron demolitions range. Using explosive charges to test Military Working Dog Grainger's detection skills during route and area searches, Lance Corporal McLoughlin demonstrated the Squadron's capabilities before the patrol dogs showcased their bite work in protective suits.

Most recently, Sergeant Chester, Lance Corporal Wilson, Private Bailey and Private Obeney successfully completed the demanding 4x4x48 Challenge in support of Combat Stress. Accompanied loyally by their dogs throughout the event, the team demonstrated the resilience, determination and partnership that define the Military Working Dog capability.