I C Pawsabilities

Cynde Van Vleet, founder of I C Pawsabilities, holds credentials that set her apart from many trainers: she's a CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed), an AKC-qualified Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a Level 3 Guild-Certified Tellington TTouch Practitioner. According to her site, she teaches at week-long TTouch training workshops across the country and contributes to nationally-circulated dog magazines.

The San Clemente business combines reward-based training with the Tellington TTouch Method—a bodywork and movement approach developed by Linda Tellington-Jones that aims to reduce fear, anxiety, and hyperarousal in animals. Van Vleet describes her philosophy as strictly force-free, arguing on her site that punishment erodes trust and can cause lasting harm. She emphasizes learning to read a dog's calming signals and body language before addressing behavior problems.

Services include private lessons, in-home training, and what she calls semi-private sessions—small groups of two to four people training together at a client's home. The practice works with common issues like leash pulling, reactivity, and housetraining, and according to the site, Van Vleet takes on cases that other trainers have given up on, particularly fearful or previously mistreated rescue dogs. She also serves on the board of an animal rescue organization.