Our Instructors

Meet our qualified team of award-winning instructors!

Kris Seiter

For as long as Kris can remember, she has spent her entire life with all kinds of animals. Growing up with as many as 20 dogs at a time, Kris’ passion for agility and dog training continues to grow. Kris’ parents were animal rescuers and German Shepherd breeders and their home was filled with animals of all kinds as well as puppies that needed care, socializing and training. To say that animals have been a huge part of Kris’ life is an understatement as she has dedicated her life to rescue, animal welfare and agility. Today, Kris and her husband Chris, enjoy a multi-dog household along with a few farm animals which includes a Kune Kune Pig.
Kris co-owns Sun Coast Agility with her husband in Naples, Florida and is a partner in Bratty Paws Dog Plex, a 13,000 sf indoor center in Punta Gorda, Florida. They specialize in elite level agility training for all dogs. Kris and her husband give seminars throughout the United States and Canada and have recently been asked to teach in Europe. Kris is currently running her 4 year old Border Collie Anwar at the International Level. Anwar is a 2 time World Bronze Medalist from the 2017 World Agility Open. Anwar is also a 2018 IFCS World Team Member and a 2018 European Open World Team member. For the past 18 years, Kris has worked with Keeshond and American Eskimo Rescue in some capacity. Whether it be rehabilitating dogs for their future homes, behavior training, or puppy mill rescue. Kris specialized in severely abused dogs and aggression cases. One foster lived with Kris and her husband for 3.5 years to work out his aggression with agility training before he was able to go to his new home. Most of these dogs were considered unadoptable and were pulled from the adoption programs due to their unpredictable behavior. With Kris’ behavior training, she was able give these dogs a second chance at life. Rescue work and animal welfare is a passion as well as a promise to give back to the animals that mean so much in her life. ​Always informally training animals as a kid, Kris seriously began training dogs 20 years ago as second career. She started with competitive obedience and conformation as a teenager with two of her own dogs. After 8 years of successfully showing her Keeshond, Randall and her Pomeranian, Rushka, in competitive obedience, Kris’s interest turned to the sport of Dog Agility and she has never looked back. ​Since 1997, Kris has trained and competed in the Sport of Dog Agility. Kris has been teaching agility since 1999 and has seen remarkable changes in the sport for the better. Kris is a National and International Level competitor and has appeared in the final events of the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 World Games with her Border Collies; Lochlan, War and Flame. Kris’ 3 pound Pomeranian Melba was also a five time medalist at Cynosport World Games as well as earning multiple agility championships from different venues. Kris’ Border Collie Lochlan, at age 9, made the Steeplechase Finals at the 2009 World Games in the 26” Division. In 2009 War’s Team placed 8th in the finals out of over 200 teams. War, Flame and Lochlan consistently posted some of the fastest times of all 26” jumping dogs at major events in their career. War is a 2008 Cynosport Gold Medalist at 26” and 2009 Bronze Medalist. Kris has 11 Individual Medals from the Cynosport World Games and 19 Individual Agility Championships from 3 different venues. Kris has been awarded 8 Life Time Achievement Awards from USDAA. To date, Kris has earned titles and championships on 13 of her own dogs of all different breeds: (Not including dogs her husband runs). Randall, Keeshond, Rushka, Pomeranian, Nadja, Keeshond, Draco, Malamute, Matra, Mudi, Melba, Pomeranian, Lochlan, Border Collie, War, Border Collie, Flame, Border Collie, Hermione, Keeshond, Ugri, Mudi, Gage, Keeshond, Anwar, Border Collie. ​Kris sees each dog/handler as an individual and therefore applies different training techniques to meet each team’s need. Kris’ foundation training builds confidence and motivation through relationship. Kris clicker trains all foundation behaviors by free shaping and helps her students use these positive reinforcement based methods with their dogs. With innovative ideas, confidence building and play based training, any dog can learn to love the sport of agility. Kris believes that all dogs can benefit from agility training as a means to stay fit and engaged in life. ​Formerly from the NYC Metro area, Kris ran two large Agility programs, one in NYC and one in Westchester County. During that time, she typically taught 25 classes a week with over 150 students, managed 10 plus agility instructors and implemented agility curriculums within each program. ​One of Kris’s main goals is to inspire her students to love working with their dogs and to develop the confidence in their own training to not only build stronger bonds, but also enable them to reach their individual goals within the sport.

Chris Tucci

Chris is a National and International Level Agility competitor and has represented the United States 6 times overseas at World Championship Events. Chris is a silver and bronze world medalist with Border Collies Bratska and Jungle. A natural athlete and (retired) semi-professional hockey player, Chris has been training and competing in agility since 2007. Having coached in the junior hockey leagues for more than 8 years, Chris prides himself in developing determination and skill in the junior athlete. Not unlike new agility teams and young dogs, Chris believes building confidence in his students is the key to having great success and trust in their teamwork.

Chris’ love of agility, dogs and teaching shows in his attention to each student and his ability to bring out his student’s best performances. With his easy-going nature, Chris teaches his students with patience and understanding and stresses the importance of great mechanics.

Chris structures his teaching with clear, straightforward instruction that enable each student to learn at his/her own pace while pushing you to work outside of your comfort zone. He will not let his students get away with mediocre handling & mechanics. Chris teaches with positive reinforcement techniques utilizing a motion based handling system. Chris is able to adapt his training to tailor to individual student needs and physical abilities, which allows everyone to progress at their own pace.

Chris took to the performance sport of dog agility with an expertise in movement. Using the dog’s natural instincts, Chris maximizes his handling skills with clear handling cues that the dog easily understands. Chris credits his wife, Kris Seiter, for his vast accomplishments in the sport as his trainer, coach, mentor and agility partner for the last 10 years.

Chris is a popular instructor and seminar presenter and gives seminars throughout the Unites States and Canada. He is a UKI & USDAA judge and frequently trains with the best agility trainers/handlers in the world.

Chris co-owns Sun Coast Agility with his wife in Naples, Florida and is a partner in Bratty Paws Dog Plex, a 13,000 sf indoor training center in Punta Gorda, Florida.For the past 18 years, Kris has worked with Keeshond and American Eskimo Rescue in some capacity. Whether it be rehabilitating dogs for their future homes, behavior training, or puppy mill rescue. Kris specialized in severely abused dogs and aggression cases. One foster lived with Kris and her husband for 3.5 years to work out his aggression with agility training before he was able to go to his new home. Most of these dogs were considered unadoptable and were pulled from the adoption programs due to their unpredictable behavior. With Kris’ behavior training, she was able give these dogs a second chance at life. Rescue work and animal welfare is a passion as well as a promise to give back to the animals that mean so much in her life.

Andrea Samuels

Agility
Andrea
Andrea

Casey Keller

Agility
Casey works as a full time agility instructor with her own training business Fly High Agility in North Carolina. She enjoys having a creative approach to training, and understands that there is not just one path for every handler and dog. Her goal is to help handlers with clear, timely, and effective communication so that the dogs can execute their job on course quickly and confidently. Casey is an encouraging instructor, and enjoys helping students bring out the best in themselves and in their canine partners. In 2023, Casey represented Team USA at the European Open with her English Cocker Spaniel (Fidget) and her Border Collie (Liri). Casey and Liri also competed at the Agility World Championships on Team USA. Casey is excited that she gets to return to the European Open on Team USA in 2024 with both of her dogs, as well as to the World Agility Open with Fidget.
Casey works as a full time agility instructor with her own training business Fly High Agility in North Carolina. She enjoys having a creative approach to training, and understands that there is not just one path for every handler and dog. Her goal is to help handlers with clear, timely, and effective communication so that the dogs can execute their job on course quickly and confidently. Casey is an encouraging instructor, and enjoys helping students bring out the best in themselves and in their canine partners. In 2023, Casey represented Team USA at the European Open with her English Cocker Spaniel (Fidget) and her Border Collie (Liri). Casey and Liri also competed at the Agility World Championships on Team USA. Casey is excited that she gets to return to the European Open on Team USA in 2024 with both of her dogs, as well as to the World Agility Open with Fidget.

Cathie Skoog

CGC Obedience
Cathie believes having well-mannered dogs makes their homes happier. Cathie has put championship titles on her dogs in agility and rally; Her Mollie earned a Grand Champion Versatility Title from the Association of Working Shetland Sheepdogs.
In 2004 Cathie fostered Sebastian, a two-year old male Sheltie who was highly intelligent and extremely energetic, but lacked any sort of discipline. He quickly learned house manners and basic obedience, but he needed more. In searching for something other than obedience, Cathie found agility and rally. That was the start of Cathie’s training and competing in canine performance sports. Cathie and her dogs continue to compete in a variety of sports such as agility, obedience, rally, herding (sheep and ducks), ratting and scent work. For “fun” her dogs run in Course Ability and FastCAT. Most recently she started competing in AKC and UKC conformation. As training techniques continue to evolve over the years, Cathie has continued to train and embrace the new methodologies. Cathie enjoys training dogs and their owners. She believes having well-mannered dogs makes their homes happier. She also promotes training and trialing, believing the bond created while working as a “team” is one of the best experiences. Cathie has put championship titles on her dogs in agility and rally; Her Mollie earned a Grand Champion Versatility Title from the Association of Working Shetland Sheepdogs. She is a World Cynosport Rally judge (WCRL); AKC Farm Dog Certification evaluator; AKC Agility Course Test (ACT) evaluator; AKC Fit Dog Certified Trainer; and AKC CGC, Trick and S.T.A.R. Puppy Evaluator/Trainer. Before retiring to Florida, she and her husband, along with their Shelties, lived in Northern Virginia. She worked in telecommunications and IT security, retiring from the Federal Government as a director and from IBM as an associate partner. When not taking classes or trialing, she was training students in agility and rally.

Courtney Kramer

Agility Trainer
Courtney believes dog training with rewards is fun and strengthens the bond between the dog and the owner! Courtney has competed around the country and earned multiple championships in various dog agility venues.
Courtney has always loved dogs from a young age. She worked at the Sea World in San Diego for a few summers with marine mammal trainers, using positive reinforcement to teach dolphins, sea lions, and whales. She saw the benefits of using positive reinforcement and uses the same techniques with her dogs. She believes dog training with rewards is fun and helps build the trust and bond between the dog and the owner. Courtney joined the Bratty Paws’ team in November 2020. Florida. She graduated in May 2020 from Gulf Coast University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and currently works at Health Park Medical Center on the medical-surgical unit. Courtney has traveled around the country competing in different dog agility venues, including CPE Nationals, UKI Nationals, AKC Nationals, and AKC Invitationals. They have earned multiple championships. Over the past few months, she has been focusing most of her attention on her young border collie, Wave. Throughout the years, Courtney has fostered over 100 dogs in her home with different medical and behavioral problems. She loves developing a plan to work through the different challenges each dog has and allow them to progress at their own pace. Courtney will always have a special place in her heart for students with rescue dogs.

Cyndi Gottschalk

Obedience
Cyndi Gottschalk
Cyndi Gottschalk

Jean Phillips

Pool
Jean Phillips
Jean Phillips

John Constantine

Conformation & Agility
John has been involved in training and showing Pure-bred dogs since the 1970’s. John had a very successful breeding program of Miniature Schnauzers, having many Breed Group, Specialty and Best in Show winners.
John has been involved in training and showing Pure-bred dogs since the 1970’s. John had a very successful breeding program of Miniature Schnauzers, having many Breed Group, Specialty and Best in Show winners. He has bred over 125 champions. He was a Professional Handler through the 1990’s specializing in Terriers and Schnauzers. He is currently a Conformation judge licensed to judge the Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting groups, many hounds and Best in Show. As well as frequently judging in the USA, including Westminster Kennel Club, he has judged across the world From Japan, China, Korea, to Scandinavia, Ireland, the Czech Republic, to Canada, Mexico and Argentina. John has trained 3 dogs to their Utility Titles, a Golden Retriever, English Setter and Irish Wolfhound. John has trained a Boston Terrier in agility and is currently running a MACH2 Miniature Schnauzer. His current dog is a Border Collie which is now in training for agility. John loves all dogs and greatly enjoys training and helping others with training.

Jordi Boix Baro

Agility
I’m Jordi, I started doing Agility when I was 7 years old. During these 24 years, I have been competing in different countries with my three dogs: two medium and one large, representing Spain seven times in AWC and six times in EO.
I’m Jordi, I started doing Agility when I was 7 years old. During these 24 years, I have been competing in different countries with my three dogs: two medium and one large, representing Spain seven times in AWC and six times in EO. I just love Agility: it is my passion and part of my life. This sport made me what I am now, and it brought me love back after meeting my partner and best friends around the world. I am hooked on competing and training, but analyzing every line and every move is my addiction. That’s why ten years ago I decided to become a judge. I started my career in the UK and, three years later, I became a judge also in Spain. During these years, I have been judging in most of European countries, FCI competitions, tryouts and Opens. As a judge and a trainer, I try to design challenging and fluent coursers where handlers and dogs can perform it at top speed, in the safest possible way. As a judge, my aim is to be part of the evolution of Agility, improving the sport to make it more competitive, spectacular, faster and safer for handlers and dogs. Agility is about dreams, love and passion. But, for me, the best part is after the last jump, where the happy faces of dog and handler meets.

Joyce Jackowski

Agility