My expertise is dog training, but I have a big family full of successful psychologists so I tend to lean into answering people who have woe's... Should I stick to what my degree is in? I work w/ people all day... dog owners. I feel like I'm really training the people rather than the dogs as it's a second's work to get a dog on board, but it takes a few weeks w/ each dog owner... I'm like a psychologist for dog owner's really... so I end up focusing on human issues here on this site. I also am to my limit of talking about dog training by the end of my day... Should I lean back into my particular field?

Sorry, but I'm just checking to see if I've fixed my problem w/ the time zone issue I've been having, right now. Please excuse the subject change, or even ignore it...

I don't. I am a programmer, but give advice on anything I think I might know the answer to. If I am not quite sure, I will say in the post something like ("Can someone verify this?") etc..

Everyone has their own life experiences that they can go on. :)


.dog expert?. hmmm..

How can I get my dog to stop peeing in the dining room!! Sometimes we have to force her to go outside... she won't tell us that she has to go. She has even done it with us sitting in the next room. Driving me nutz. We take up her water most nights... and she is good for the most part (even when we leave for a looong while). But she just won't seem to give any indication of needing to go out.

Not knowing anything about a subject does not stop about 1/2 of the people from answering.

But answer what you want, there is no restrictions. I seldom answer in dogs for example, but once in a while I see one that I know something about. Almost no one agrees with me on child raising but I have raised 5 boys, but that does not stop me from giving my opinion.

You can answer any question you think you have an answer to. But a few caveats you need to consider. Some forums are about opinions, others about facts. You need to make sure your answers are factually accurate, especially in those forums that require it.

You also need make sure your answers are generally factual ofr that you specify where they are factual. For example, someone might ask, what the legal age of consent is. Since it varies, you might respond that its 16 in <insert name of area>. But to just say its 16 would be inaccurate.

As long as you keep that in mind when answering you should be OK.

Lol, id say raising 5 boys makes you an expert imo ;)

Should I focus on my answering questions in my field on this site only?Hello Dee:

Nahhh. I don't have a field. But, I have an opinion, and I don't mind expressing it.

excon

Okay guys,

I got it. Thanks, I will continue to answer the ones that I feel I have a contibution.

As far as staticFX goes, you need to adopt the train of thought that your dog is not trustworthy... with that it means that unless she/he is totally supervised he/she doesn't get "the right" to have any freedom, (which equals trust to humans). You need to keep her in a down where ever you are in the house, like say if you are watching TV... then periodically ask her/him if he/she has to go out. Then take him. Wait for the dog to do his business... reward him/her w/ a treat. Requiring your dog to be in a down where ever you are in the home, (even in the kitchen while you eat or COOK!) is helpful because it is your OWNERSHIP of always knowing WHERE he is. This change begins w/ you.

In order to change a habit (which if a dog does something consistently for over 3 times it has officially become a habit), you have to change the rules and the way of the world as the dog knows it. (Again, this begins w/ you.. ).

Dogs live IN THE MOMENT... change is easy for dogs... It's the humans that have a hard time absorbing the activity that IS REQUIRED as well as the confidence to feel that they CAN change things. We hold on to what we know, experiences that we've had IN THE PAST... dogs relearn new ones any time it's required of them. It's that easy. Our experiences come w/ what we've lived... theirs w/ what they practice right NOW, (no matter what they have previously learned in their lives).

Let me know if you need more help or "tweeking". It's very easy to change a dogs mind.

Also, when you leave the home I highly recommend that you crate the dog. (If you need help in teaching your dog to love his crate let me know... ). Dogs are "denning" animals... so it's natural for them to be INSIDE a small space.

What kind of dog do you have?

Well, that's all... Maybe I should take a look at the doggy section... Maybe we should make a new category called, "Human psychology for the average dog owner"... lol... (Naw, it's too long!).

Have a good day everyone!

It's a cockapoo. She is smart as hell too... (like when playing fetch.. If she brings the ball to me but drops it too far away. I can tell her I can't reach it and she will bring it closer. Tell her to go lay with her boy... and she will go lay with our son) so I'm sure she can learn it quick.

Have you ever heard of using a bell? My buddy did it. He hung a bell on the door knob.. and rang it each time he went out with the dog... after a while... his dog would ring the bell to say he had to go out. Should I try that?

Thanks!!

Wow, Almost forgot where I was! Dee, post wherever you please, I do. Half the time, I end up reading some interesting things from others, as this is a great place to learn things you don't know.

As Scottgem points out though, better have your facts, when required, but enjoy the experience.

Thanks, I will make sure I have my facts FOR SURE when I discuss issues that I "claim to fame"... lol.

Oh, staticFX... SURE try the bell thing... if you want. It may or may not work. I think the most solid advice I can give you is the scenario I stated earlier.

Just be CONSISTENT. She will learn fast if YOU do the same thing over and over and over and over... it's when when the human doesn't always do the same thing, the dog doesn't know what to expect.

Dogs are creatures of habit...

All dogs have their cute tricks... I also had a small dog, (a pomeranian.. ) that used to bring the ball in closer if I asked... she also used to walk around on hind legs like a human... as long as I wanted her to. It was her "trick". I never really had to "hard core" teach her that... it was a thing she had in her naturally that I brought out by asking it of her. I knew it would be easy for her and I thought it would be a fun parlor trick.

Each dog is equipped with their own set of capabilities... BUT they are all equipped to be CONFIRMED potty trained canine companions.

Let me know what happens, if you would. Thanks.

OK, then tell me what the set of capabilities a basset hound has?

LOL had one years ago... I think my mailbox was smarter than it.

Thanks for the advice!

I'm sorry, but I am not qualified to answer this question. You see, my area of expertise is O-rings.
I am petitioning AMHD to open a section which addresses the many problems we encounter when we are faced with the daunting task of purchasing and installing O-rings.

It is not about answering as much as you can but of being of help in whatever area. If you feel that you have knowledge in other areas then answer, but if the answer is not satisfactory just be prepared to be told.

I'm sorry, but I am not qualified to answer this question. You see, my area of expertise is O-rings.
I am petitioning AMHD to open a section which addresses the many problems we encounter when we are faced with the daunting task of purchasing and installing O-rings.

Great! Its good to know that I can come to you if I am not sure whether to use the little o-ring or the fat one! Lol

What's a o-rings??

Hello Sweet:

They're rings shaped like o's.

excon

PS> See how easy that was. I haven't a clue what an o ring is, but that didn't stop me.

Typical O-ring and application:
An o-ring is a loop of elastomer with a round (o-shaped) cross-section used as a mechanical seal or gasket. They are designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more parts, creating a seal at the interface.

The joint may be static, or (in some designs) have relative motion between the parts and the o-ring; rotating pump shafts and hydraulic cylinders, for example. Joints with motion usually require lubrication of the o-ring to reduce wear. This is typically accomplished with the fluid being sealed.

O-rings are one of the most common seals used in machine design because they are inexpensive and easy to make, reliable, and have simple mounting requirements. They can seal tens of megapascals (thousands of psi) pressure.

The o-ring U. S. patent claim was filed in 1937 by a then 72 year old Danish-born machinist, Niels Christensen [1]. He came to America in 1891 and soon after that patented an air brake system for streetcars. Despite his legal efforts, his intellectual property rights were passed from company to company until they ended up at Westinghouse [2]. During World War II, the US government commandeered the o-ring patent as a critical war-related item and gave the right to manufacture to other organizations. Christensen got a lump sum payment of US$75,000 for his efforts. Litigation resulted in a $100,000 payment to his heirs in 1971, 19 years after his death.

Theory and design

O-ring mounting for an ultra-high vacuum application . Pressure distribution within the cross-section of the O-ring. The red lines are hard surfaces, which apply high pressure. The fluid in the seams has lower pressure. The soft O-ring bridges the pressure over the seams.O-rings are one of the most common yet important elements of machine design. They are available in various metric and standard sizes. The UK standards sizes are known as BS Sizes and typically range from BS001 to BS932. The most common standard sizes in the US are controlled by SAE AS568A. In general o-rings are specified by the inside diameter and the cross section diameter (thickness). The o-ring is one of the simplest, yet most engineered, precise, and useful seal designs ever developed.

[edit] Typical applications
Successful o-ring joint design requires a rigid mechanical mounting that applies a predictable deformation to the o-ring. This introduces a calculated mechanical stress at the o-ring contacting surfaces. As long as the pressure of the fluid being contained does not exceed the contact stress of the o-ring, leaking cannot occur.

The seal is designed to have a point contact between the o-ring and sealing faces. This allows a high local stress, able to contain high pressure, without exceeding the yield stress of the o-ring body. The flexible nature of o-ring materials accommodates imperfections in the mounting parts. Maintaining good surface finish of those mating parts is still important, however, especially at low temperatures where the seal rubber reaches its glass transition temperature and becomes increasingly crystalline.

Vacuum applications
In vacuum applications the permeability of the material makes point contacts quite useless. Instead, higher mounting forces are used and the ring fills the whole groove. Also round back-up rings are used to save the ring from excessive deformation [3] [4] [5]. As the ring feels the ambient pressure only at the seals and the ring feels the partial pressure of gases only at the seal, their gradients will be steep near the seal and shallow in the bulk (opposite to the gradients of the point contact [6]). See: Vacuum_flange#KF.2FQF. For high vacuum systems below 10-9 Torr, copper or nickel o-rings have to be utilized. As rubber becomes hard and brittle at low temperatures, in vacuum systems that have to be immersed in liquid nitrogen, indium o-rings are used.
High temperature applications:
In some high temperature applications, o-rings may need to be mounted in a tangentially compressed state to compensate for the Gow-Joule effect.

Hahahah, that's so funny... :):D (... excon, I'm referring to YOUR response... lol)

Magprob, thank you for your elaborate response, I certainly learned a thing or two, now didn't I.

I can NEVER ask "what is an o-ring" ever again in my life time... lmaoooooo!

I'm kind of afraid to post anything out of my personal expertise because I have noticed a few incidences where a certain expert would bully sweetdee when she asks something.

Will that happen to me?

Hello gem:

Welcome to the site.

IF you state your opinions here, there's going to be somebody else who disagrees with you. They SHOULD do it nicely, but not everybody acts the way I think they should.

But, however, they do it, just keep on defending your opinion. It's fun. Nothing bad will happen if you lose an argument. I've lost several...

excon

i'm kinda afraid to post anything out of my personal expertise because i have noticed a few incidences where a certain expert would bully sweetdee when she asks something.

Will that happen to me?

Sorry SweetDee, but we aren't that dumb. We can tell that gemglam is you using a new alias. A serious violation of the rules. Even without the tools we have as a mod, it was obvious this was a lame attempt to attack others. Suspending you for a week doesn't seem to have taught you a lesson. But I'm going to give you one last chance. The gemglam ID will be permanently banned and all posts but this one deleted. One more violation of the rules and you will also be permanently banned.

Hello again:

Doh!! Duped again... When am I going to learn?

excon

Ex...

I liked the Doh! That's OK... I'm duped a lot too. We are trusting, helpful souls.