In 2005, a Yellow Lab named Hunter – as he was known back then – had worn out his welcome with his family because they could no longer manage his high energy level. Pluis and Kate Davern, Search Dog Foundation (SDF) trainers and owners of Sundowners Kennels, where all SDF dogs were trained at the time, received a call alerting them to the fact that this five-month-old puppy had the potential makings of a search dog but would be on his way to the shelter soon!
Hunter was being kept in the family garage, where they had made a hole in the wall adjacent to his crate. This was all he had, as well as minimum human contact, which contributed to his unmanageable behaviors. Fortunately for Hunter, Pluis and Kate were there to intervene. They assessed Hunter and felt that he had great potential but because he was too young to be formally evaluated for the program, the decision was made to place him in a Canine Prep Home until he was a little older.
After spending a short time at Sundowners before he went to his Prep Home, it was clear that Hunter’s name would need to be changed. He barked (or spoke) about everything. He could even bark with a toy in his mouth! Pluis and Kate interpreted this as his way of communicating, and his need for the attention and human interaction which were absent as a puppy. Hence, the name “Speaker” was given to him, a very fitting name indeed.
Speaker was placed in a Canine Prep Home in Ojai to learn some manners while he matured. Ben and Wendy Larner opened their home to Speaker and started taking him to obedience classes and on outings around town. He spent several months with them, attending weekly training sessions conducted by SDF staff in Ojai and Ventura. According to Ben, Speaker was a “big, strong, lovable guy” and he wanted his own way. He was fearless, very spirited, and in a word – a handful. After several months with the Larner’s, Speaker had blossomed and demonstrated unbelievable tenacity and persistence in finding the toy.
Speaker was soon on his way back to Sundowners, where Pluis and Kate were able to accelerate his training. Because he was so focused and eager to please, he responded well to the training, the attention, the interaction and the challenge of his new job.
One of the trainers’ fondest memories of Speaker was his ability to do a 360-degree flip off the top end of a six-foot run. No one ever wanted to be his “victim” during search training because of the sheer power of his tug. Training with Speaker was always a challenge, but it still brings a tear to Kate’s eye when she recalls Speaker’s story; she feels he was truly “born to be a hero.”
In January of 2006, Speaker graduated training and was paired with his initial handler, a firefighter in the Sacramento area. Following their match, not much progress was made during their time together, so in October of 2007 it was decided that Speaker would return to Sundowners for tune-up training. He remained at Sundowners until another handler was found in February of 2008. This time, Speaker was paired with firefighter-paramedic Tim Robertson, also from Sacramento and a member of California Task Force 7.
Having Speaker changed Tim’s life. He said, “Speaker requires a lot of attention. I don’t have the free time I used to have. With Speaker, everything is work. All he wants to do is work.”
In the little free time Tim and Speaker did have, their favorite activity was swimming in the American River. Speaker loved the water and thought that anything that moved in the water was a toy – and he would try to retrieve it.
In March of 2008, Tim and Speaker attended a Canine Search Specialist class in Virginia Beach. At the training, they participated in a multiple victim search during which Speaker alerted to a victim, but would not leave the hole. Tim thought the hole was cleared and continued to try to redirect Speaker, but Speaker continued to go back to the same hole and re-alert. When Tim tried to remove Speaker from the hole, it was then that he realized it was a two-victim hole. Tim learned a valuable lesson from Speaker that day, and that was to “always trust your dog,” a saying that many SDF handlers use to describe the relationship they develop with their canine counterparts.
Speaker and Tim worked hard and achieved Advanced Certification with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in December of 2009 in Sun Valley, CA. The highest achievement a Canine Search Specialist Team can earn, Certification means that the partners can be deployed to wherever disaster may strike in the United States.
On July 5, 2010, Tim and Speaker were able to put their skills to work when they were deployed to the site of a house explosion alongside task force teammates Jeff Ivy and his canine partner Jakers. Speaker cleared the house and did not alert that anyone was trapped inside. Tim’s clearance allowed rescuers to begin the clean-up process.
After a crucial knee surgery, Speaker was retired on July 1, 2012, at eight years of age. To have continued the strenuous work of climbing rubble after that type of surgery would only aggravate the injury.
Speaker spent his retirement years as a beloved family pet in the home of Tim’s parents. The Robertson’s had the time and attention to give to a stay-at-home dog, while Tim returned to his full-time career at the fire station. Speaker and Tim’s mom, Jacquelyn, had a very special bond and she was able to love and play with this special dog every day.
Sadly, after several months of failing health, Speaker crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 11, 2018, days short of his fourteenth birthday.
We are incredibly grateful to Speaker for his service to the people of Sacramento and the nation. He will be greatly missed by many, but never forgotten.