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A mock building collapse was set up at F.P. McCann Concrete works in Ellistown so that the handlers and rescue dogs could get a  sense of what a real disaster would be like.

As the dogs went about their business, Chris Pritchard of the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service explained that without them it would be difficult to rescue people as quickly.

Listen: Interview with Chris Pritchard

BBC Leicester's Jo Bostock spoke to Chris Pritchard...

If someone was buried and making no noise, Chris says it would be virtually impossible to locate them:

Even groans and calls for help from people buried under rubble are more likely to be heard by the highly trained dogs than electronic detectors.

However, Chris says that a practice exercise is a pale reflection of the real thing:

"We simulate things as accurately as we can, but it's very difficult to simulate a collapsed building."

One man and his dog

The dogs are very skilled, and Chris says that the training sessions are more for the handlers than the animals.

They form a close relationship through working together in tough situations and over long periods of time.

But Chris says that working with an animal is very different from working with a bit of machinery.

An electronic device can be overhauled and put into storage when it's not in use, but a dog needs looking after when it's "off duty" too.

International rescue

Leicestershire's rescue dogs have seen service around the world, as well as in the UK.

They were part of the rescue effort for the Boscastle flooding, and Chris is very proud that the team really does save lives:

"It's a real feather in our cap that Leicestershire is at the forefront of this kind of rescue."

The rescue teams' contribution has been recognised nationally. Thanks to government funding, each Fire and Rescue Service in the country will get a search and rescue dog team as a result of the Leicestershire dogs' hard work.