CPT’s Mark Spivak Performs as Keynote Speaker at the 2019 AKC US Detection Dog Conference
The 3rd annual AKC US Detection Dog Conference brought together scientific researchers, veterinarians, military program managers, government officials, law enforcement officers, trainers, breeders, and other stakeholders pertinent to the national security goal of improving the procurement, identification, and training of optimal explosive and agriculture detection dogs. From Aug 27 – 29, 2019, 200 attendees learned, shared, […]
The Dog Project Prepares a New Class of MRI Dogs
The Dog Project, the first research team to successfully train any non-human animal to take an MRI without sedation or restraints, is now preparing its Echo Team of MRI Dogs. After graduating the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta teams in Atlanta; scanning 50 dogs on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley; receiving funding […]
CPT and Emory University Want You!
The CPT-Emory Dog Project is Getting Set for Another Round of Tryouts! The CPT-Emory Dog Project Team has appeared on 60 Minutes, Nova, ABC World News Tonight, and CBS This Morning, been covered by the LA Times, Washington Post, and Atlanta Journal Constitution, and been featured in the websites of Time Magazine, Psychology Today, and […]
Experiment 8- Jealousy
Many dog owners insist that their dogs behave anxiously, cloyingly, or aggressively due to jealousy emanating from owner attention provided to something else (e.g., another person, the phone, the newspaper, et al.), but especially attention given to another dog. The Dog Project responded by designing Experiment 8- Jealousy, which examined the brain responses of subject […]
Jaildogs Excelling at Their MRI Training
As detailed in the November 19, 2015 CPT News post, entitled “CPT Participates in Gwinnett Jaildogs Program,” since early October 2015 CPT has been educating prisoners how to train rescue dogs to participate in the The Dog Project’s MRI program. The goal of CPT’s participation is threefold:
Experiment 9: Olfaction and Cross-Sensory Interactions
The Dog Project is moving forward with some new and exciting experiments. Presently, our local dogs are learning scent discrimination for an upcoming study, titled Experiment 9- Olfaction and Cross-Sensory Interactions.
CPT Participates in Gwinnett Jaildogs Program
On October 14, October 28, and November 19, CPT President and Head Trainer Mark Spivak visited the Gwinnett Jail to instruct prisoners on proper dog training techniques to better prepare rescue dogs for adoption into permanent homes and for participation in the Office of Naval Research (ONR) sponsored CPT/Emory fMRI projects.
CPT’s Mark Spivak Co-Authors Paper Published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior
CPT’s Mark Spivak, functioning as a research consultant in conjunction with Emory University’s Neuroscience Department, co-authored a sixth research paper published in a prestigious peer reviewed academic journal. The article, entitled “Regional Brain Activity in Awake Unrestrained Dogs,” authored by Peter Cook, PhD, Andrew Brooks, PhD, Mark Spivak, CPT, and Gregory Berns, MD, PhD, describes the process the team employed to become the first research team worldwide to obtain fMRI images of non-human animals without the use of sedation or restraints. The paper also discusses the advantages of the team’s protocol and applications for the methodology.
Our Research Trip To California- The Work Stuff
Over the past 1.5 years, CPT Head Trainer and Dog Star Technologies co-founder Mark Spivak has traveled to California bi-monthly to complete a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contracted canine neuroimaging project that uses fMRI biomarkers to better identify high-potential service dog candidates. The project incorporates leading-edge science to improve dog training technology. Mark […]
CPT’s Mark Spivak Co-Authors ONR Funded Research Paper Identifying Dog FFA
CPT’s Mark Spivak, functioning as a research consultant in conjunction with Emory University’s Neuroscience Department, co-authored a fifth research paper published in a prestigious peer reviewed academic journal. The article, entitled “Awake fMRI Reveals a Specialized Region in Dog Temporal Cortex for Face Processing,” co-authored by Dr. Daniel D. Dilks, PhD, Dr. Peter Cook, PhD, […]
Improve Your Dogs Obedience
