Maia, Therapy Dog-in-Training

Maia is the Curry Psychology Group’s cuddliest team member.

Maia was adopted in April 2020, at the very height of the COVID-19 pandemic and just two months after our beloved therapy dog of 12-years, Gunnar, passed away. It was a dark time, and the arrival of this fluffy new puppy shined a much-needed light back into our lives. We decided to name her Maia, after the giant bright blue star.

Maia is an Alaskan Malamute, a large arctic breed known for their extremely affectionate nature. True to her breed, she has a sweet temperament and loves to be held and cuddled. She is also a giant girl—at the time of writing this, she is only eight months old and pushing 80 pounds—so there is a lot of puppy to cuddle. She is currently in the rigorous process of training to become a certified therapy dog with the National Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which involves two structured training sessions daily, as well as consistent maintenance of obedience skills.

At one-year-old, Maia will be eligible to take the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen test with Dr. Curry as her handler. When they pass this test, they will then move on to take the National Alliance of Therapy Dogs’ three-part test to evaluate her performance on measures of temperament, behavior, and obedience in a variety of different settings and on different days.

Maia will occasionally present in the office while she is in-training. If you or your child would like to see her during your visit, please let us know.

We are so proud of Maia for the progress she is making in her training and for following in Gunnar’s very special footsteps.