Boxwork/Shaping

When doing boxwork/shaping, when is the proper time to c/t? Is there a wrong way to do it?

I started doing it this morning with the crew in hopes to get them used to offering behaviors as I will be starting to teach them to weave using the 2x2 method in a week or so when the snow melts.

Here's a rundown of each dog and what the offered and what I c/t.

Kiba: Looking at the box, touching the box, putting feet in the box, sniffing the box, bumping into the box. If she'd get stuck I would throw a piece in the box and c/t for climbing/reaching into the box.

Stryder: Looking/touching/putting feet in the box, putting back foot in the box, sitting in the box, attacking the box

Tsuki: Looking/touching the box, she climbed in a sat in it, c/t for laying down, for touching sides of box, for waving at me, for laying down and rolling over, for sitting and looking at me then looking away and/or down

Lincoln: I brought him out, and he went and sat in the corner of the room, didn't want to interact or was unsure. Let the dogs outta the box where they all started beating up the poor box for treats LOL. Lincoln got interested but still wouldn't take food, changed it up and any interaction with the box I clicked and played tugged (he's much more toy driven then food driven).

ClickerSolutions Home explains it there. I would also recommend that you don't lure it by throwing treats in it. If a dog is stalling out, breaking down the behaviours further and reward more.
You can also google, clicker training, lumping vs. splitting

Susan Garrett had a shaping blog post once. Her criteria for herself was that she should be c/t every 6 seconds. If it takes long than that, you're expecting too much out of the dog. That was a HUGE reality check for me. It means that you have to be going in micro-levels.

My agility instructor just shaped her dogs to do hand stands. I'm working on getting the same from Lucy--there's too much fun stuff to train once you get the hang of shaping!

On top of what others have mentioned, this may help:

The Ten Laws of Shaping
by: Karen Pryor, from Don't Shoot the Dog

1. Raise criteria in increments small enough so that the subject always has a realistic chance of reinforcement.
   
2. Train one aspect of any particular behavior at a time. Don't try to shape for two criteria simultaneously.
   
3. During shaping, put the current level of response on a variable ratio schedule of reinforcement before adding or raising the criteria.
   
4. When introducing a new criterion, or aspect of the behavioral skill, temporarily relax the old ones.
   
5. Stay ahead of your subject: Plan your shaping program completely so that if the subject makes sudden progress, you are aware of what to reinforce next.
   
6. Don't change trainers in midstream. You can have several trainers per trainee, but stick to one shaper per behavior.
   
7. If one shaping procedure is not eliciting progress, find another. There are as many ways to get behavior as there are trainers to think them up.
   
8. Don't interrupt a training session gratuitously; that constitutes a punishment.
   
9. If behavior deteriorates, "Go back to kindergarten." Quickly review the whole shaping process with a series of easily earned reinforcers.
   
10. End each session on a high note, if possible, but in any case quit while you're ahead.

I have video... I'm working on editing it. YAY.