AGILITY INSTRUCTORS Patty Andolina
Sheltiefun@aol.com 716-822-9315 PattyAndolina has been involved in dog sports for over 25 years with her Shelties, starting with obedience competition and later teaching advanced obedience classes. About 20 years ago, she joined a group of agility enthusiasts who show cased the new sport of dog agility at various sites. When the AKC began hosting agility trials, the sport took off and Patty taught agility classes at HABOC while training and titling her own dogs. Later, she taught agility classes at Positive Pet Training. She was also one of the first in this area of the country to help introduce the concept of the clicker as a motivational tool and training device. Patty has trained 13 of her own dogs to advanced obedience, agility titles and championships, and has competed successfully in a number of agility organizations, including USDAA, AKC, NADAC and CPE. Her dogs have completed 32 Agility Championships in CPE agility (C-ATCH) as well as an AKC MACH on her shy Sheltie, Breezy over those years. Along the way, Patty has participated actively in numerous seminars and workshops with many of agility's top instructors and competitors, and has worked with a wide range of different training problems using positive, motivational training methods. She believes agility should always be fun for both dog & handler and never feel like work! 
Undine Bistany
ubistany@roadrunner.com 716-885-0003 Undine Bistany has been teaching competitive agility classes for at least 6 years. Her Border Collie ADCH MACH 3 Minka PAX is nearing retirement and her young Lab Missy is competing in Excellent classes. She is the owner of PAWSITIVE SOLUTIONS and has given seminars and workshops in the past. She has competed at National events and taken lessons from several competent and well known agility competitors including Linda Mecklenburg. 
Barb Klucik
agiliteve@aol.com 716-440-0936 Barb Klucik has been involved with dog agility since 1996, and has been teaching the sport for nearly as long in a variety of WNY locations. She has competed successfully in AKC, USDAA, NADAC and CPE with her two rescue border collies, Eve and Dunk. Eve finished her AKC career with a MACH and a PACH2, and also earned a CPE C-Atch. Dunk earned MACH3; the highlight of his career was competing in the Challengers round at the AKC Nationals. Both Dunk and Eve earned the USDAA Bronze Lifetime Achievement award, the equivalent of 3 ADCH's plus 75 additional Masters' legs in what is arguably the most demanding of the agility organizations. Barb currently competes with Nancy Gee's BC MACH Genie. As an agility trainer, Barb focuses on teaching handling skills. She has worked with many top trainers, most extensively with Pati Hatfield Mah and Linda Mecklenburg, and has come to the conclusion that there is no one handling approach that is best for every dog. In her classes Barb asks that all students learn some basic handling techniques, but steers each team to find the strategy that works best for them. Her guiding principle is that a handler's most important job is to make the course obvious to the dog. In addition to her regular lineup of classes, Barb operates Attitude Agility and enjoys developing other training opportunities, ranging from workshops, fun matches, and seminars to video eviews. 
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OBEDIENCE INSTRUCTORSMary Ellen Pratt
pups4geb@verizon.net 716-947-5135 Mary Ellen believes The Polite Puppy (any age dog) is welcome anywhere and at anytime. Her strong conviction that relationship with your dog is based on love and respect. Making training fun from the beginning sets the pace for how the dog will perceive training for the rest of their life. For the past 25 years she has been Region Coordinator for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Erie Puppy Program, developing dog and handler in a fun and rewarding way. A student of Suzanne Clothier and Relationship Centered Training, she continues to attend seminars and training sessions on a regular basis. She enjoys training and competing in Obedience with her Labrador Retriever, Imogene who obtained her AKC & UKC CD in less than a year. She is a member of Hamburg All Breed Obedience Club and South Towns Dog Training Club. _____________________________________________________________ Cindy Rathbun cynthiarathbun@aol.com 716-491-0585 Cindy Rathbun has been involved in training dogs for over 14 years. Her Irish Water Spaniel, Sullivan, recently completed his OTCH and also has titles in agility, tracking, and rally. Cindy's German Shepherd, Shogun, had titles in obedience, agility, herding, and rally. Cindy has mentored under Evie Van Uden and has taken lessons from Evie, Jerry Burke, Ena Hilmayer, and Terri Clingerman. Additionally, Cindy has actively participated in seminars with Evie Van Uden, Terri Clingerman, Jane Jackson, Bridget Carlson, and Sylvia Bishop. Cindy is a member of the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America, Hamburg All-Breed Obedience Club, and Southtowns Dog Training Club. 
Amy Swietlik
justforthedogs956@yahoo.com 716-574-5006 Amy is a long time member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Southtowns Dog Training Club and Volunteer at the Erie Co. SPCA. She has been involved in Private Dog Training and a Dog Walking Service for the past 6 years. Amy has assisted and has been mentored by a number of excellent trainers in the area and regularly attends seminars focused on both dog training and behavior issues. Doing Private Dog training has helped her to incorporate real life challenges people face with their dogs into class room training to address their issues. Being a long time volunteer in the SPCA's Enrichment program has given her a unique opportunity to work with many shy, fearful dogs, many puppy mill dogs and plenty of "rough around the edges" dogs who were never given the chance to be all they can be. Amy believes dogs and their humans learn best when they are having fun and her classes are geared to building a wonderful relationship with our dogs. Amy shares her home with 2 rescue dogs: Barney, her Obedience, CGC, agility dog and Opie her sound sensitive, storm phobic shy guy. "No dog is too young or too old to learn new behaviors when we train with gentleness and respect for the incredible animals we have". 
Kim Alexander-Thomson
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