FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
David A. Brownell is the owner of Brownell canine training. Mr. Brownell brings over 40 years of local, national, and international experience in canine training, canine program management, security and emergency operations to the company. He has 16 1/2 years experience working in Iraq and other high threat environments. For almost six years, he served as the Canine Program Manager and Senior Canine Trainer for G4S/RONCO in Iraq and the Mideast region. In this capacity, Mr. Brownell was responsible for setting up and managing canine detector programs throughout the region for clients to include the Iraqi government, the US government, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and commercial oil, natural gas, and petrochemical concerns. He managed the training of hundreds of detector dog teams during this period. His background also includes prolonged stints as a US Army MP canine handler, a Schutzhund handler, a US FEMA disaster dog handler, and a SAR and HRD handler and trainer with a Dallas, Texas search organization. Mr. Brownell is a Master Trainer & Evaluator for the United Police Working Dog Association and a TCOLE-certified Police Instructor, and has instructed and evaluated hundreds of Detector, SAR, disaster, and HRD dog teams at all levels, and taught numerous personnel at a myriad of canine seminars. Additionally, he has assisted in the development of detector dog programs and written standards for citizen, police, and government organizations. Mr. Brownell is well respected in the national and international canine detector community. He coauthored the Brownell-Marsolais Scale, an evaluation and screening instrument for the selection of search and detection canine candidates.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
My journey into canine training began with a simple truth I discovered early in life. I loved dogs and I loved helping people. What started as a fascination with working dogs eventually became a lifelong calling. Early in my career I served as a United States Army Military Police Canine Handler. That experience allowed me to see firsthand the incredible partnership that can exist between a dog and a handler. Watching a well trained dog protect lives and accomplish difficult missions showed me that these animals were capable of far more than most people realized. That experience shaped my commitment to working dogs and to the people who rely on them. After my military service I continued working with dogs in several disciplines. I became involved in Schutzhund, search and rescue, human remains detection, and disaster response while working with teams in Texas. These efforts supported missions that helped families and communities during times of crisis. Those experiences reinforced something important to me. A well trained dog can bring hope, safety, and answers when people need them most. Later my work took me overseas. I spent more than sixteen years working in Iraq and other high threat environments, including nearly six years serving as the Canine Program Manager and Senior Canine Trainer for G4S RONCO. During that time I helped establish and manage detector dog programs that protected the United States government, the Iraqi government, the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations, and critical energy infrastructure.