KCK9 Connections Youth Program

What Children Learn

KCK9 Connections youth program teaches children the foundations of canine understanding through structured learning, guided practice and play-based learning. This sets them up for future training with their own dog at home.

Children learn:

  • Canine Communication
    How dogs communicate through body language, behavior, and subtle signals, using observation, role- playing and discussion to understand what dogs are expressing and why.

  • Foundations of Canine Training
    How dogs learn, including reinforcement, timing, consistency, and motivation.

  • Safe & Respectful Interaction
    How to interact with dogs in ways that support safety, consent, and mutual respect, both with familiar dogs and in everyday public settings.

  • Human Communication & Responsibility
    How human actions, tone, body language, and consistency influence canine behavior and outcomes.

  • Core Life Skills
    Empathy, patience, consistency, and awareness . All skills that extend beyond dogs into everyday relationships and social situations.

  • Understand the Importance of Enrichment
    They will learn how to create enrichment for their dogs. Bell pepper Kongs, Lick mats, and more!

Two young children working on a craft project with colorful adhesive dots on a wooden table, surrounded by craft supplies including wooden sticks, tape, markers, and decorative tape.
A young girl with brown hair tied back in a braid is standing on a sidewalk, holding a small dog on a leash. The girl is wearing a black jacket with a pink lining and pink pants, while the dog is tan with a black face and wearing a silver chain collar. The scene is outdoors on a sunny day in a suburban neighborhood with houses and trees in the background.

Program Size & Enrollment

Youth Program (9:00–3:00): $250 per child
Sibling Rate: $225 for second child
Optional Aftercare (3:00–5:00): $25/day per child

To ensure a safe, calm, and instructor-guided learning environment, sessions are limited to 4 children per group. This allows for close supervision, meaningful instruction, and respectful interactions with the dog.

If a session is full, you will be contacted and placed on a waitlist. Families on the waitlist receive first priority when the next session dates are released.

Enroll
Yellow bell peppers stuffed with green beans, peas, and chopped turkey or chicken, topped with crushed crackers, on a speckled gray kitchen countertop. Behind the peppers are a bag of chicken toppers, and a can of pure pumpkin.

The youth program is led by Sara Maasen, educator and founder of KCK9 Connections, alongside Bijou, a Certified Therapy dog.

Sara brings extensive experience working with dogs and families, with a background that includes canine training, competition, youth education, and family-focused safety practices. Her work is informed by the principles behind Family Paws® education, emphasizing preparation, awareness, and safe interactions between children and dogs.

Rather than teaching children to simply follow instructions, Sara guides learning through understanding — helping children see how canine behavior, communication, and training connect to real-life responsibility and safety.

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a denim jacket and black pants, kneels beside a large Australian Shepherd dog with black, white, and brown fur, inside a room with wooden floors and white walls.
A woman kneeling on grass with a dog on a leash, in an outdoor park with agility equipment in the background.