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Mark Spivak
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| President of CPT, Mark Spivak and
his German Shepherd, Topper (SchH III, FH) 1998 Southeast Regional champions. |
Mark has trained dogs seriously for 18 years. Mark has titled his German
Shepherds in AKC obedience, ASCA obedience, and Schutzhund. In the process he
has received multiple ribbons, plaques, medals, and placements. His German
Shepherd Dog, Akbar, earned an AKC Companion Dog (CD) title and a leg
toward her Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title.
His German Shepherd, Topper, earned the titles of Schutzhund I, II, and
III, FH, and CD. During his competition career, Topper won numerous
high-in-class and high-in-trial awards in tracking, obedience, protection, and
overall score. Topper and Mark won the 1998 Southeast Regional Schutzhund III
Championships held in Wilmington, North Carolina and qualified for the
1998 and 1999 USA National and North American Championships. Topper
completed his ASCA CD with outstanding scores of 195 and 196 out of a possible
200 and finished high-overall-in-match in an AKC obedience event. In
addition, Mark and Topper earned the prestigious advanced
tracking title of FH with a score of 92 out of a possible 100 points. Mark has
also participated in agility, herding, and KNPV and competed with Topper at the
1997 KNPV National Championship Trial. Topper appeared nationally on Fox
SportsNet performing agility demonstrations. Mark presenty owns a six-month old German Shepherd, Marlo, that Mark plans to enter into competitions when he reaches
two years of age. Mark has also completed an AKC
Open (CDX) title with a client's Labrador Retriever and has competed at the Utility
level with another client's Boston Terrier. In addition, Mark has coached numerous people and multiple breeds
to all levels of AKC titles and many first place finishes.
Both of Mark's German Shepherds have participated as therapy animals. Through
his company, Comprehensive Pet Therapy (CPT), Mark founded the first
professional Animal-Assisted Therapy programs in the state of Georgia and
designed the programs used in the rehabilitation departments at Shepherd Spinal
Center, Dekalb Medical Center, and Egleston Children's Hospital. He has also
served as an officer for the non-profit organization Happy Tails Pet Therapy.
His work in therapy and obedience has been featured on CNN, Noonday, Living in
the 90's, Community and other television programs, plus WGST, 99-X, and B-98.5
radio. Mark was "The Pet Expert" on the Channel 11 Saturday Morning
News and has appeared in multiple segments on canine behavior for Fox-5
Eyewitness News, WGCL-TV 46 Clear Channel News and Comcast TV.
Local print media, including
The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Gwinnett Loaf, The Alpharetta Neighbor
and Chai Magazine, and print media as far away as The Denver Post have featured
Mark or CPT. Mark has trained and handled dogs for several television commercials
and a music video. In addition, Mark and his personal dogs have appeared in a prominent advertising
campaign for a large dog food manufacturer and four feature films, Letters
From a Wayward Son (starring Harry Connick, Jr., Peter Postlethwaite and
Rebecca Carlson) and Run Ronny Run (starring Mr. Show's David Cross), In
My Life (a WB pilot), and 2001 Maniacs (starring Robert Englund).
Prior to starting CPT, Mark received a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree
from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of
California, Berkeley. Mark's reputation and accomplishments have grown CPT from
a one person company to a company of 15 elite trainers who have become the most
respected group of pet trainers in the Atlanta area. Over 80 Atlanta area
veterinary clinics recommend Comprehensive Pet Therapy for the improvement of
pet obedience, household manners, and behavioral problems. As President of CPT,
Mark has trained or managed the training of over 45,000 pet dogs. He coached
the CPT competition team, which has taken numerous first place finishes, and has
coached CPT's Georgia Force Black and Blue team, the nation's first football
mascots to retrieve the kicking tee during Arena Football League games.
Still, rather than resting on his laurels, Mark continues expanding his knowledge by attending seminars
and personal coaching sessions with world class trainers and behaviorists,
including Prof. Ian Dunbar, Brian McGovern, Gerianne Darnell, Dr. John Wright,
Dieter Meyer, Jan Timmerman, Dean Calderon, and Gary Hanrahan. Mark is the
President of CPT and in addition to his administrative duties teaches private
lessons and group classes at CPT's Sandy Springs location. He also performs
expert witness services for criminal and civil cases requiring research,
investigations, expert opinion, written affidavits or trial testimony.
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