Meet Our Team!
Angela Murray, CBCC-KA UW-AAB
Angela’s passion for animals was inspired by her mother, whose dog training business provided her with early hands-on experience. From a young age, she assisted in all aspects of the business, developing a deep understanding of canine behavior. Her dedication led her to an internship at Wolf Park in Battleground, IN, where she studied wolf behavior. While fascinated by wildlife, Angela ultimately chose to work with domestic dogs to help them remain in their forever homes and positively impact people’s lives.
With over 30 years of experience, Angela is a seasoned canine training professional specializing in emotional regulation therapy. She is well-versed in behavior challenges, leading group classes, and customizing private lessons. She is a Certified Professional Trainer and Behavior Consultant through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Over the past 10 years, she has devoted her efforts to training fellow professionals and dog enthusiasts. She has developed and implemented a canine training program at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL, and Aims Community College in Windsor, CO.
Angela has also served as a mentor for the Animal Behavior College and CATCH Training Academy and earned her certification as a Nutritional Pet Care Specialist through DNM University in 2017. Committed to fostering strong human-animal relationships, she emphasizes creating a sense of safety and trust for dogs, empowering and enabling them to reach their full potential.
Continuing her dedication to professional growth, Angela received her Certificate in Applied Animal Behavior at the University of Washington in June of 2023 and her certificate in Somatic Self-Resilience for Dogs in May of 2024. She opened Khyzen, LLC, with Danielle Spady in March of 2025 to help dogs regulate their emotions through species-typical behaviors that influence the nervous system. Angela resides with her partner, Dave, and two Australian Shepherds, Yoshimi and Buddha.
Danielle Spady, CBCC-KA KPA-CPT
Dani has been passionate about all things dog since she was a young child. When her rescue German shepherd introduced her to the world of behavior, her path into dog training and behavior became clear. Nearly two decades later, she is a certified Canine Training Partner from the esteemed Karen Pryor Academy, she breeds a line of Australian shepherds competitive in any venue they choose, and she trains and competes with her own and others’ dogs in a variety of sports including agility, rally, herding, disc, nosework, barn hunt, dock diving, fastCAT, earth dog, conformation, and more. Dani was on the admin team for the Puppy Culture Facebook support group, and through her Aussie breeding program, she develops and utilizes her own puppy raising protocols. She was mentored for over a decade by a prominent herding instructor. Dani has been coaching pet parents professionally since 2012.
In her free time, you can find Dani building out her herding training facilities, hiking at Red Feather, or playing tabletop games with friends.
Hannah Barnes CPDT-KA, FDM
Hannah’s journey with animals began early, spending countless hours of her childhood sitting beside her pets, discovering that trust is built through steady, relationship-based communication. That early spark evolved into future years of hands-on dedication, from volunteering and fostering for local humane societies as a teenager to diving headfirst into the science of dog behavior after adopting her first dog as an adult.
Hannah built her professional foundation under the mentorship of Angela Murray as a student and class assistant. Driven by an uncompromising commitment to lifelong learning, she earned her Family Dog Mediator (FDM) credential in 2024 and her Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certification in 2025. Today, as a trainer and somatic behavior therapist, Hannah integrates applied ethology with body-mind awareness to help dogs and their people navigate complex behavioral challenges through safety and compassionate healing.
Coming from a family lineage of educators and drawing from her own background in public school education and music instruction, Hannah recognizes that exceptional dog training requires equal parts canine knowledge and human connection. Loving dogs is the baseline; effectively empowering the people who care for them is what transforms lives. She believes that by learning how animals experience the world, we cultivate a deeper capacity for humility, self-reflection, and integrity in our own lives.
Outside of her clinical work with dogs, Hannah is a lifelong musician, educator, digital marketer, and enthusiast of yoga, trail hiking, biking, cooking, baking, and drag performance art. She shares her life with her partner, stepson, three dogs (Otto the terrier, and Aussies Aspen and Keeley), and cat, Jinx.
Meredith Decker KPA-CTP
Meredith entered the dog profession on a bit of a whim. After graduating from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2018 they decided to try something different and began working at a dog daycare and boarding facility. Since 2018 Meredith has worked in several different kennels which created a passion for developing safe, low stress environments for dogs to socialize and build their own communication skills.
Nearly a decade later, they have continued to grow their skill set, they earned their training certification from the Karen Pryor Academy in 2022 and now teach classes focused on building regulation skills in dogs so they can learn how to navigate the busy world around them.
Their other passions include: playing Dungeons & Dragons, reading 5 books at once, and supporting local art. They share their home with a sweet retriever mix named Kindred, and a cat, Autumn.
Our Story
Khyzen was founded in 2024 as the result of a close partnership between Angela and Dani - they recognized a unique way that they were able to help dogs who struggle, and the rest is history.
Things first began when Dani would bring in her dog Khyan to assist in lessons with Angela’s clients - Dani has always said that Khy has her own “zen” quality, and a unique ability to talk to other dogs and help them regulate. She’s a pretty perfect girl, if we say so ourselves.
So naturally, when searching for a name for their new business venture, Dani and Angela wanted to pay homage to the dog who started it all. In addition, the term “kaizen” is used in Japanese business development to represent the concept of continuous improvement.
And thus, Khyzen Canine was born!