David spent nearly 30 as an operational police dog handler and during that time handled 5 general purpose police dogs.  As  well as handling his own police dogs David was responsible for the training, development and assessment of all dogs attached to his unit.  This included a mix of general purpose police dogs (tracking and protection) and detection dogs trained in drug, firearm and cash detection.  

During his career David was presented numerous awards including the Australian Bravery Medal, the Australian  Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Australian Police Medal. 

David is one of the most experienced dog handlers and trainers in Australia and is regularly requested by overseas organisations to assist with their training.