The Mystery of Liminal Space

You’ve come to realize what you’re currently doing is no longer working.

You’re tired.

You don’t see any changes happening with your dog and you continue feeling frustrated.

Simultaneously, you know things can be different.

You are feeling the push to make some changes and also feeling the pull to go back to where you were even though it was no longer working.

The liminal space you’re in is uncomfortable and it leaves you feeling uneasy.

You want something different, but crave familiarity.

You want your dog to change, so you can feel more at peace.

You also realize that if you want your dog to do something different, you too have to show up and do different too.

You resist.

You deny that anything you do needs to be different.

You retreat to what you know.

When you do, you also feel uncomfortable there too.

This limbo is part of your growth and it is a marker for change.

It’s ok to feel overwhelmed and uncertain. Growing and learning something new is unpredictable.

It has to be. To do something new and looking to make a change means you will becoming an explorer in your life.

You are charting your next steps in a direction that is more aligned for you.

Be kind to yourself. Be easy on yourself as you move and show up differently.

At the very least, have a good sense of humor and don’t take yourself or your dog so seriously.

You can choose how you experience learning something new and when you can see the joy emanating from your dog in learning together, feel your heart burst open allow the light to shine in.

You deserve it!

Published by houndbiz

Katherine Porter is a force free, reward based dog behavior advisor and consultant serving clients and their companion dogs worldwide. Her calm and gentle approach in coaching clients in effectively communicating what they want to their dog blends her MSW background into her dog training and behavior practice. Katherine was a behavior consultant for Heeling Hounds after graduation. She opened Four Paws and You Dog Training LLC when the military relocated her family to Fort Sill, OK in 2015. During this time, she volunteered with Rainbow Bridge Can Wait where she provided post adoption consultations to new pet parents. She also developed and implemented tailored behavior modification plans for highly reactive dogs residing at the shelter. She also provided educational programs to military children through interactive workshops at the Fort Sill School Age Center. In 2017, Katherine relocated Four Paws and You Dog Training LLC to Germany. She served the Armed Forces communities in Bavaria. She continued coaching and advising her clients in addressing their companion dog’s fearful and reactive behavioral issues. Katherine takes a Do No Harm approach first and foremost in providing behavioral plans. She is committed in serving clients with gentle and modern science approaches in modifying behavioral concerns such as reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety and fear based responses. Katherine is a member of the Pet Professional Guild. She is focused on integrating a holistic and modern approach in addressing her client’s pet companion reactive behavior issues.

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