OUR TEAM
OUR GOALS, AS A TEAM, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO TEACH WITH KINDNESS, COMPASSION & MODERN SCIENCE BASED TRAINING methods.
Candace Dryden, RLA
CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, Cert-CN
My family always has told me, you should be a Veterinarian. I have always been interested in nutrition, wellness, and I truly had a tender connection with animals.
I grew up with all sorts of small animals, dogs and over my life having owned approximately 30 cats. I took years of horseback lessons, native bird rehabilitation courses, and even took multiple college courses in Fisheries and Wildlife while obtaining my Bachelors in Landscape Architecture at UMass Amherst.
My journey as an animal trainer started in 2009 when I adopted an umbrella cockatoo and I realized that I didn't know anything about owning a parrot. I stumbled across a parrot group on a yahoo group called "Feeding Feathers" (now on Facebook). It was a nutrition group for parrots, and the moderators were also well versed in Applied Behavior Analysis to train the parrots/animals. I was hooked!
I absorbed as much as I could about parrot nutrition and training, by taking as many workshops as I could. After a year on the group, I became a moderator and helped hundreds of members with their parrots nutrition, training and care.
After working part-time, as a dog trainer, at a local pet store training puppies, adult dogs, and working with hundreds troubled dogs, I knew it was time to offer more to our community, and Creature Connections Behavior Alliance was born.
Heading into my 13th year of my animal training career, I have helped thousands of owners with their pups. I have also worked with hundreds of parrot owners, reptile owners, and cat owners. My education in animal science and dog training continues to grow, by attending multiple workshops/seminars, reading research papers, and attending certificate courses offered by reputable organizations in all things animal.
You can read more about my education and experiences here.
SHANE HIBBERT
Fear Free Certified Dog Training Apprentice
Growing up with an emphatic interest in animals, I have always had a desire to foster a compassionate connection with them. I love animals of all types! I keep and breed reptiles as a hobby: Royal Pythons and Leopard Geckos, which are two of the most docile and colorful pet reptiles available. I became a Dog Dad in 2022. Choosing to intentionally raise a high work-drive dog, I brought home Gimli, an energetic German Shepherd Dog / Malamute / Pitbull mix and began my deep dive into dog training. Very quickly, I fell in love with dog training and the two-way communicative bond that Gimli and I were able to form through Positive Reinforcement techniques. I was elated to join CCBA in 2023, where I was able to begin my official education as a dog trainer under the mentorship of Candace! Since, I have obtained my Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification and I am currently working toward obtaining more.
In 2017, I obtained two bachelor’s degrees: one in English Literature and one in Secondary Education. As a licensed MA Teacher of High School English, I have been able to leverage those skills to help human owners with their pups during our classes.
haley parker
media & operations extrodinaire
Outstanding Mom to an energetic 10 year old and Dog mom to two very different pups. I joined CCBA after attending a basic manners class with my four month old Boxer/Hound Puppy. My eyes were opened to more than I ever knew about Dog training. I quickly knew I wanted to be a part of CCBA, and I became a client for life. I assist CCBA with their Social Media by creating fun clips of our classes and snippets of learning for our clients.
scott bacheller, abcdt, ffcp
Fear Free Certified Dog Trainer
I have grown up with dogs, cats, and the occasional small animal. My adventures in dog training started in 2015 when I adopted Buster while I was recovering from a life changing traumatic brain injury. Buster needed special help after being rescued from a hot car during a grand mal seizure. When I adopted Buster, I told him that we would get better together, and we each started our healing journey with a new best friend. Through Buster, I was introduced to the dog training world and animal behavior analysis. Much of my own experience comes from the behavior end of the animal rescue world. Helping rescue dogs and their humans learn how to flourish together is my happy place.
I especially love helping reactive dogs live less fear filled lives. In my spare time, I volunteer teaching disabled veterans how to train their own service dogs.
