The Army first occupied the Melton Mowbray site in 1946, and it became known as the Defence Animal Centre, a title which remained current until 2018.

Substances the dogs are trained to detect include TNT, Cordtex, C-4 and Semtex.

Some dogs are donated by the general public with the rest often purchased from both national and international vendors.

The site was used as a training ground for the London Olympics 2012 for cycling and equestrian events.

[5] In the field, some military (and police) dogs can be fitted with special bullet-proof vests to protect them.