The Missing Link K-9 Training

13/07/2024

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21/05/2024

Our amazing vet has been nominated for Veterinarian of the year through Trupanion. Please take a moment to head over and vote ❤️🐕

🚨Attention Clients🚨

We are so excited to share that our very own Dr.Mendillo has been nominated for Veterinarian of the Year through Trupanion! If you want to help support her and vote, you can follow the link below!🎉

Voting is open now through May 24th and you can vote as many times as you would like!! Thank you again for all of the continued support!

https://vetappreciationday.trupanion.com/vote?seed=lfs8tj&search=mendillo&nominationId=8wdT94Iz4

10/05/2024

Don’t forget to come check out some of these awesome pups and stop to say Hi to us at the Homeward Bound CT Adoption Event at the Durham Fairgrounds next weekend May 17-19th.

06/03/2024

You don’t see many pictures of our actual face.. actually we honestly are horrible at posting in general, but we would rather work dogs than sit down and work on our phones 📱. Last month we did a fun photo shoot with dapkus and it was nice to just get out and have fun with our personal pack and a few of our extended pack pups. We did some advanced obedience, antler recovery and even my old lady Lucy got some frisbee time in.

29/01/2024

Let’s talk Muzzles!

Myth: Only bad dogs have to wear a muzzle. 🙄

Wrong!……….

Fact: Any dog can and should be at least conditioned to wearing a muzzle.
muzzles are a fabulous tool to have in your training bag. Not just for aggression but also for many other reasons, including injury, mental exercise, or in little Luna 🐶‘s case here pica.

Luna and her sister both have Pica and will often seek out abnormal things to eat. Which has resulted in both of them having to be hospitalized at one point or another.

Let’s just say your dog suffers an injury, and they are in pain. Under normal circumstances you could have the happiest and friendliest dog in the world but when they are injured, they could possibly harm whoever touches them. if your friendly pup is already muzzle conditioned, then having them wear a muzzle during this time, will not cause them any added stress on top of injury. Plus it will keep everyone safe.

So the next time you see a dog in a muzzle obviously still respect their space as you should with any new dog. But don’t assume that all dogs in a muzzle are bad.

25/01/2024

Today we said goodbye to our Durango James (Monk, baby fetus, Monkey Son) 🌈.

After 14 years with me, 11 moves, other fur siblings, 2 human kids and a lot of life changes… He never left my side, well more like never left under our feet. He had a Napoleon syndrome to him like no other. Literally grumped when he was happy, sad, mad or just hungry. Once he loved you he would let you know. But he always counted on his siblings to back him up, especially his brothers.

It seemed only fitting that the day he gained his wings would also be the same date that his brother Dakota did as well just 4 years ago. I know Ray was waiting for him to cross and excited to play and reunite again. All of my boys have now crossed the rainbow bridge and our pack is the smallest it has been in a very long time. Our hearts have a hole and it will take time to heal, but we are at peace knowing that he is no longer in pain and can be back to his normal puppy self again.

Fly high baby boy 🪽

Durango James
7/1/09 ❤️ 1/24/24

18/01/2024

Today we visited East Haven High School to offer the kids some therapy dog time during their tough exam week. These two were a huge hit and the students and staff both enjoyed some love from Lucy and Brooks.

01/01/2024

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!!

As we approach the end of another year, we can't help but feel a sense of honor and gratefulness towards our clients. It has been an incredible journey, filled with growth, challenges, and most importantly, the unwavering support of our valued clients. As we reflect on the past year, we want to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude and ask for your feedback to continue improving and growing together. Please complete this short survey in an effort to help provide you and your furry family members with the best service possible.

Your voice, as our valued clients, forms the foundation of our growth strategy. It's the insightful critiques and well-placed praises that fuel our forward momentum. So, let's keep the conversation going because it's your input that truly drives our ambition to be better, for you, and for your four-legged family members. This survey is more than just a questionnaire; it's a conversation that helps us understand you and your pets better. We eagerly look forward to your candid and constructive feedback. As a thank you for your thoughts and feedback, please let us know you completed this form for $10 off your next session with us.

Poised at the edge of a brand new year, we can't help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement for the journey ahead. With your unwavering patronage and invaluable feedback, we are certain the year to come will be even more remarkable and prosperous. Our pledge to you remains steadfast - to continue providing exceptional services to you and your cherished pet family members. We eagerly anticipate the shared moments of joy, the numerous wagging tails, and the precious bonds that the new year will bring. Each day will be another opportunity to serve you with the same love, care, and respect that you have come to associate with us. Here's to a forthcoming year full of progress, growth, and unswerving dedication to you and your furry friends.

Best,
Erica Crist-The Missing Link K9
Courtney Strout- Fully Unleashed K9

25/12/2023

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄

02/10/2023

We would like to welcome Princess Pickle-Lina to our Missing Link K9 training Family! 😻

Most people know me for my love of dogs and my pack, but most don’t know that I actually have cats as well. My heart cat who I recently lost in July at the tender age of 18.5 was my everything. He found me as a kitten and we were inseparable until he took his last breath snuggled in my arms. Losing Noah was like losing a piece of me and I realized that deep down I may just be a cat person after all.

Well fast forward a couple months to when my best friend found this adorable stray kitten in her yard in . Something told me that it was meant to be, so she fostered her for a month and then we met in where I picked her up to bring her home.

Pickles will not only be an addition to my family but she has also started training to help me with my Missing Link clients as well. So stay tuned to hopefully see the final result of her learning to pack walk with the pups.

18/09/2023

We are celebrating 10 years!! Who is coming to party with us? Get your tickets today! 🎉🥳🍾

https://www.wheretheloveis.org

❤️

11/09/2023

Come visit us on October 1st at the Branford green for Animal Awareness Day. We will be talking about tips and tricks for canine training as well as performing some Demo’s.

05/09/2023

Make sure you’re hydrating and staying cool on this hot day! These guys enjoyed a nice dip in the pool between play times.

12/08/2023

*Thank you to everyone who came out today to support us! We raised $450 for Dan Cosgrove with our raffle prizes! Many congratulations to the winners! *

The MVC team is at Woofstock in Branford today to support Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter! If you’re looking for something fun to do, come on down and stop by our booth for some fun raffles and freebies! We will be there from 12-6pm!! 🐾

10/08/2023

Education on the e-collar 📖 When used properly with the the right trainer, tools like the e-collar can literally change a dogs life for so many reasons.

Did you know that the majority of our client dogs work around a level 2! Most humans don’t even feel the tingling stim until at least double digits.!!
For example my working level is 32. Which means that’s the lowest level possible that I feel any type of stimulation/tingle.

14/07/2023

Courtney will be out of the office until Wednesday doing some awesome continuing education. If you reach out to us just bare with us on response times, especially via text. 🐶❤️

Continuing Education is so important to us, this week Courntey will be away in Denver at a conference. Please be patient if response times are slower than normal. Can't wait to share all we learn with our amazing clients!

07/07/2023

05/07/2023

We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday today! 🇺🇸☄️💥

Please keep in mind that over the next week you will hear lots of booms, especially at night. Make sure you have prepared your pup and are taking precautions to keep them safe and calm. Working place is an awesome exercise to do, as well as any other mental workouts. Using fans, white noise, music and even a stuffed kong work wonders for helping them to tune it out. A couple of safety tips as well:

🦮 utilize a leash when going to the bathroom, especially at night. Even if you have a fenced in yard or underground. When a dog spooks they will generally go into flight mode and no amount of calling their name will get them to stop.

⏰ Be aware of what time your local towns fireworks will be going off so you can plan accordingly.

🪪 make sure that they are wearing a collar with an updated ID tag. If they are chipped also verify that all of their information is correct. They also make many gps systems for dogs now, such as Fi and AirTags.

📷Lastly don’t forget to take a cute picture of them enjoying the day, or show us how you took the opportunity to work them.

Happy 4th everyone!
❤️
Erica & Courtney

The Missing Link K-9 Training
Fully Unleashed K9

09/06/2023

Update: Milo is home ❤️

Sharing for a clients friend, East Haven CT. Please share! Lost pup ☹️

06/06/2023

‼️ Schedule update 🗓️

Individual training is booked full threw the beginning of July. If you would like to get in the schedule for a session please reach out to Courtney so we can get you in. 🐕

Boarding, Daycare and walks will all be closed until the 23rd as Erica is on Vacation 🛫
However if any of my Michigan clients would like to get in while I’m back send me a text!

Courtney

29/05/2023

We do a lot of pack work with dogs. Many of the dogs in this video have had severe anxiety/reactivity in the past and some still struggle with it. By utilizing stable members of the pack to help them build confidence they are able to stay in a pack and walk off leash following the leader (me). Walks are not just for physical exercise, they help to provide a mental outlet and also build the relationship between members of the pack, as well as their handler.

21/05/2023

Our girl Courtney made a great post about doggy first aid and what to have on hand. If you haven’t already checked out her page and given it a like/follow please do!

As the weather gets warmer and you may be doing more things with you pup, take a minute to think about a Pet First Aid Kit. Pet safety is our number one priority. Here is a list of the basics I keep in my first aid kit.

03/05/2023

Courtesy Post! Please share!!!

These two are looking for a new home. Unfortunately the owner is going threw some housing issues and is no longer able to keep them. Please contact for information on how to contact their current owners. Time is running at as their mom has until the 31st of this month.

Storm is an 8 year old red and white Siberian husky male and Bella is a 5 year old black and white siberian husky female. They are bonded and attached at the hip, but I understand that they may not be able to go to a new home together. Bella and Storm have never been off leash around other dogs but have never showed aggression towards other dogs. They play with each other all day long and are always looking out for one another. They get along great and know each other's boundaries. Storm loves to cuddle and give kisses. He follows you into every room and loves company. Bella is your typical husky whom loves to talk. She is extremely loving and submissive. Bella is more independent and will lay in her own corner coming out occasionally for cuddles and belly rubs. They come from a loving home so they will demand lots of attention. Walks are a must as they are extremely energetic and playful. Both dogs are spayed/neutered but are not UPTD at the vet.
Cats:unknown
Kids: best with older children due to their high energy.
Located: East Haven, CT

23/04/2023

Congratulations to our trainer Courtney on doing an amazing job at her show this week. Not only can she do great things with dogs but this girl rocks the show ring too. Many don’t know but training horses and dogs are very alike, besides the thousands of pounds in size.

20/04/2023

We love helping clients to bring out the full potential in their dogs. Angel couldn’t handle a car outing before let alone a store visit. We took some time yesterday to visit our local . We worked on confidence boosting and getting Angel into a working mindset with her mom around new places and things.

02/04/2023

We really do mean place happens everywhere! Even in the middle of petco! Contact us today if you want you pup to look like this!!!

02/03/2023

Reminder! Our adoption event is this Saturday! Stop by and meet some of our adoptable dogs.

Napoli Kia
241 Boston Post Rd
Milford CT