the versa team
Our team members have decades of experience in all different dog sports. Most are also educators in their professional fields.
the trainers
Kristin
Kristin, the owner and lead trainer, has qualified and competed in multiple national agility competitions and is one of Utah's top competitors. She started training dogs with her first dog, a sheltie named Tika. They competed in agility and dabbled in all the dog sports. Tika was consistently one of the top dogs in her height class until her retirement; even winning the South Central USDAA regional in 2009.
Kristin's strength lies on the agility and sheepherding fields, where she competes with border collies Tag, Spy, Solo, and Pele. Her border collies are renown in both agility and sheepdog worlds. Kristin's team wows spectators with their speed, efficiency, and running contacts at competitions and at demonstrations such as the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship.
In addition to agility and herding, Kristin has trained, rehabilitated, and rescued several dogs, many of which needed behavioral modification. She has worked in a Veterinarian clinic and on a farm where she helped develop a special variety of hair sheep. Kristin earned a bachelors degree in Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences and her Masters degree in Agricultural Extension from Utah State University. She is living her dream to be the owner/operator of her own dog training facility - Versa Dog Training.
Marietta
Marietta has known and worked with Kristin Sittner for over a decade. She has trained and competed in agility with multiple dogs over the years. This training includes working with behaviorally challenged dogs. Marietta works tirelessly to help all her students move from basic agility fundamentals to advanced training techniques and maneuvers. Marietta teaches several Agility classes and offers private lessons.
Kati
Kati Barker started a dog training internship with Kristin Sittner and has been hooked ever since. She grew up with Labrador Retrievers but now has 2 Border Collies. She currently competes in agility and has also dabbled in sheep-herding, trick work, and a little bit of scent work.
Kati received her Bachelors of Science in Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science. After receiving her Bachelors', she become a Certified Canine Massage Therapist and trained in Trigger Point Therapy with Ken Bain. Kati teaches Beginning Agility classes, manages Versa Dog Sport’s social media, and offers canine massages.
Michelle
Michelle has worked with, and on behalf of, a variety of animals for a number of years. Her extensive and varied background includes working as an Animal Care Manager at a Humane Society, a Canine Intervention Specialist training dogs to adapt to the specific needs of terminally ill children, a Zoo Keeper at TGR Exotics Wildlife Park, and as a Trainer and Performer for Joel Slaven’s Professional Animals, Inc. She has trained exotic and domestic animals including dogs, cats, parrots, pigeons, rats, ducks, pigs, emus, a Crowned Crane, an African Crested Porcupine and birds of prey.
As a professional trainer, Michelle has cared for animals’ physical and emotional needs, created training plans for show behaviors, and participated in special shows, training new behaviors around the country. She was chosen to start up a new type of show at the Jacksonville, Florida Zoo where she was responsible for selecting and training animals in a new setting.
Marielle
Marielle is a retired dentist, a change leader, an inventor, a public speaker, an author and a dyed-in the-wool animal lover. She has trained dogs, horses, and a mouse. She has competed with dogs in conformation, obedience and agility, and with horses in dressage. Today she applies the lessons she has learned from each animal along the way. Her current focus in dog obedience is on creating an experience that is a pleasure for the handler, fun for the dog, and a gift to the audience. Her goal is to help people transform their dogs into animals so lovely that they will be welcome anywhere regardless of size or breed.
Norah
Norah has worked at a professional dog groomer, dog trainer, agility instructor and general dog guru since 2000. In 2011, she first stepped into an competition agility ring with her dog Abby-Gale and has never looked back. Norah and her dogs hold agility titles in AKC, USDAA, TDAA, CPE, as well as titles in Barn Hunt and AKC’s trick dog program. Norah is looking forward to starting her youngest dog in UKI agility in the summer of 2021. Norah recently moved to Northern Utah, after spending 10 years as a member of Gamblers Agility Club of Greater Las Vegas.
Norah’s strength as a dog trainer comes from her passion for building relationships between humans and dogs. She has dedicated her life to improving the sport through positive and effective training methods. Norah is also an AKC ACT certified evaluator and has ambitions to become an AKC agility judge.
Mary L.
Mary runs the Versa Dog Playschool/Daycare and manages class registrations and schedules. She trained her first obedience dog Sam, when she was in high school. Her love for agility began with her dog Kiah, who has earned her Master Agility Championship (MACH) title. Mary also has a rehomed Border Collie/Kelpie mix named Kip. He is learning agility too and is showing great promise!
Alyssa
Alyssa has trained and showed dogs for years. She is a certified trainer and an AKC evaluator. She specializes in obedience and also trains and completes in confirmation, agility and rally. Currently, Alyssa teaches our AKC S.T.A.R. puppy, Basic Obedience, Obedience for Competition for beginner novice (BN) and novice (CD) AKC obedience competitions, Confirmation Show Dog, and Canine Good Citizen (CGC) classes. She also administers CGC evaluations by appointment.
Mary T.
Mary Thompson grew up in the rural areas outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Her strong competitive nature has led to participation in a variety of activities including horses, swimming, baton twirling, bicycling, and dogs. Her first “dog show” at the age of 9, was at a local mall with the family Pekingese where they were awarded “Best Groomed”. Her family has owned several purebred and mixed breed dogs including Newfoundlands, Old English sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, Shetland sheepdogs, German shepherds, border collies, and Weimaraners. Currently Mary and her husband Craig own, breed, and train border collies. Mary competes in conformation, obedience/rally, and agility both in AKC and UKC. They have earned multiple titles. She has also dabbled in herding, scent work, and barn hunt. Mary is an AKC Puppy STAR, Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog and Agility Course Test evaluator.
the other VIPs
Tracy
Tracy Mazur has been involved with dogs all her life. Her parents raised and trained German Shepherds. She started in the 4H obedience program at age 8 with her Cairn Terrier, Sassy. At age 12, she got Shetland Sheepdog, Terra. Terra competed in AKC conformation and obedience. Tracy’s love of agility began in 2002. She has ran several different breeds in agility giving her a unique perspective and understanding. She Judges agility for AKC and UKI.
She is owned and loved by two Working Cocker Spaniels, Tavish McSpaniel and Even Faster. Tavish is currently competing and Even is training in agility and nosework.