The FReeper Foxhole - Thanks for the Memories - Our last of the daily threads - October 3rd, 2005

our threads and our memories | Warning: Graphics heavy. | SAMWolf and snippy about it

[stainlessbanner]

We always enjoyed your contribution and southern hospitality.

And my grits (LOL!)

[DollyCali]

I will watch for you in years ahead on the list of worlds wealthiest.. and then you can underwrite FR & come back & for fun do a weekly or "whatever" thread.

God Bless you both!

[Professional Engineer]

PE. Thanks for all the laughs, sharing Bitty Girl and Spider boy with us. I always looked forward to your Flag-O-Gram wondering what you'd come up with and what "size" it would be.

What're FRiends for.

I've enjoyed all of this stuff too. I remember asking you to post more Revolution threads at one time. You replied, it doesn't get interesting until the Civil War. How right you are. I've enjoyed learning.

P.S. You're still in charge of BicycleSpankenTruppen (which shows up in Google) recruitment.

;-)

[AnAmericanMother]

Ok. I'll bite, whats the clicker method?

It's a reward-based training method. The "special equipment" is one of those little metal clickers or crickets with the tiny piece of flexible metal in it that clicks as you push and release it. You know, one of these . . .

Basically the clicking sound signals correct behavior instantly (getting "Good Dog" out of your mouth takes some time).

To begin conditioning your dog to the clicker, you start with a handful of treats (very small ones - I take the little Nutro training treat squares and break them up into four pieces). First you click the clicker, then you feed the dog a treat. Click-treat-click-treat-click-treat-click-treat as fast as you can.

Then the dog associates the clicker with a treat (this works REALLY well for food motivated dogs like Labs!) You must always have a treat ready, so you can treat immediately after the click.

Once you've established the connection in the dog's mind, you can "shape" his behavior by clicking for actions you like (and ignoring actions you don't like). Call him with great enthusiasm, "Sarge, COME!" When he starts towards you, click and he'll run to you for his treat. Delay the click and treat with each successive call, until he has to come all the way to you before he gets his click and his treat.

Same method for sit - most people shape the behavior with the clicker first, then add the oral command afterwards. One of the fun things we learned in my first clicker training class was to teach the dog to pick up a basket and bring it to the handler. You start by clicking when they sniff the basket - then after a couple of times you delay clicking and they will nudge the basket with their nose - click and treat - then delay again until they fumble the handle with their mouth - and so on. Any intelligent dog will mess with the basket until he figures out what "dispenses the treat" . . . my dog is four years old now, and when she spots that basket she runs to get it and bring it to me! A friend of mine's first clicker task was to train her dog to get into a cardboard box.

Most clicker training people are "positive-only" trainers - my dog is trained with a mix of positive and negative, because she also does retriever training and an E-collar is a must in that line of work because the dog is working so far away from you. But certainly with a puppy positive training is best!

You should be able to Google "clicker training" and come up with a lot of online stuff. Here's one. But getting into a puppy class that uses the clicker is probably the best way.

[Professional Engineer]

Thanks for all the astronaut Bio's today PE.

I realized I hadn't really posted much NASA stuff in a while. It seemed appropriate.

[Professional Engineer]

It's what we do, see whats over the next hill.

Yes indeed!

I think of the astronuat role models I had a kid, and compare that to the last two decades. It's frightening to think the kids only have drug addict sports figures now. What's our society going to look like in the future.

[Professional Engineer]

It worked!

[SAMWolf]

I will watch for you in years ahead on the list of worlds wealthiest..

LOL! Snippy and I already feel wealthy because of the FRiends we've made at the Foxhole, unfortunately, the IRS doesn't accept that kind of weatlh as payment. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks. We'll give that a try. He already expects a treat when he sits so we have a "head start"

[SAMWolf]

Yeah there's a long "dry" period of US History between the Revolution and the Civil War. Lots of good local/regional stuff but not a lot of interesting national history, of course that's just my opinion.

[AnAmericanMother]

I think you'll be REALLY pleased with the clicker training.

Some friends of my parents down in coastal GA own (or are owned by) a little hellion of a Jack Russell terrier. Their previous dog had been a very laid back Lab, and this little dog was completely wild and out of control. I mentioned clicker training when we were over to their house for dinner -- they were very interested (not to say desperate) and I brought my dog over to demonstrate the method, then we started on their dog. It was amazing! Within an hour we had her doing several basic commands, and I hear from my folks that she is continuing to progress and is a much better behaved dog!

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[Peanut Gallery]

morning, I was just catching up. Believe it or not, I am the only one up.

Where's your nose?

[Peanut Gallery]

check your email for a "pitching tents" blooper video clip.

[colorado tanker]

America experienced the horrors of war during our Civil War. Unfortunately, the memories of the terrible consequences of being a "house divided against itself" (Lincoln) are wearing off, as America does such an awful job of teaching its own history to our young. That's why I so admire Sam and Snip's effort with the Foxhole to keep our history alive.

[Romad Wife]

Wish I had come sooner to this site! Going to miss it, just like my Dad who just passed 9/13/05. A Great WWII vet in my eyes. Long live the 410th Bomb Group!
God speed all!
Prayers to all those who are not home tonight, Those going and coming!
Air Force....A Great way of Life! If only he could get station at a Air Base instead of Post!

[SAMWolf]

Robert Hanson, last Memphis Belle crew member, dies

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Robert Hanson -- the last surviving crew member of the famed Memphis Belle B-17 bomber of World War Two -- has died of congestive heart failure. He was 85.

Hanson and his wife, Irene, had moved from Arizona to Albuquerque recently to be close to their daughter. His family says he died Saturday in Albuquerque.

Hanson was the radio operator on the Memphis Belle -- which flew 25 combat missions over Germany and France while escaping some close calls.

Hanson told his family stories about a chase involving several German planes, the bomber's tail being shot off and a nose dive that left the crew wondering if they should use their parachutes.

Hanson joined the military in 1941 and was assigned to the Memphis Belle. A memorial service is planned for Wednesday in Albuquerque.

Thanks to FReeper for the heads up on this news

[SAMWolf]

Oops! Forgot to put your name in the "Thanks line" and then ping you. Thanks for passing on this news.

[snippy_about_it]

And my grits (LOL!)

LOL. That's for sure!

[snippy_about_it]

Flag-o-No Need to Waste a Good Foxhole-o-Gram.

Wonderful. ;-)