Just started clicker training

and I have to say Max is really getting into this.

I have a few questions: when practising the wait (and then myself walks away) when would you click? Would you click and treat when you say come?

Also, I have been looking at posts on here and some of you are doing some pretty advance training and I'd love to get to that point with Max but need to practise the basics first.

He can do paw, lie down, jump, sit, twirl and sometimes crawl (that is a new one) and when playing with a toy he will drop it on command.

Could you suggest some more tricks and ways of teaching them with the clicker? In particular the 'hold it' trick (with a toy).

Thanks in advance for any tips

Hi Laura have you seen this Dogsey information article on clicker training
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=11324

By clicking on the "come", you'll probably make him think that he's being rewarded for getting up and coming over to you. The 300 peck method principle could be used here
http://www.druidalegsd.karoo.net/300_peck.pdf

Instead of 1 step, click, 1, 2, click, etc. you can do seconds instead of steps.

Kikopup does some good videos with clicker training, it can be good to see how someone else does it rather than just going by a written description
http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup

For the stay; I would walk away, then return, click and treat. For many dogs the click is seen as the release cue, so if you were to walk away then click, he would rightly assume the exercise is over and walk over to collect his reward despite the fact you have not offered the command. This is just my opinion though.

A few other easy ones may be:
Rollover
Stand
Other Paw
Double paw
Fetch an object
Target something with nose
Lie on side (dead)
Through legs
Bow (abit harder)

To get a good hold, I started exciting K with the toy. When she was bringing it back or picking it up I would then throw it a few cm, click and treat for picking it up, or hold it out. Once the dog learns to take it, you can begin to add duration to the hold.. hope this makes sense!

Also I find what is more time consuming than teaching new commands is often tidying up the basics.
I make it so each command can be done with a hand signal, spoken command or both.
Also distance control.. getting the commands from 5 metres etc without the dog creeping.
Then out of sight, so hide out the room and ask for a sit.
This all takes a surprisingly long time IMO (although Kestrals not the brightest spark!)

Glad you and Max are enjoying clicker training, Kestral loves it.
Have a look at the dogsey trick training section, you might find some suggestions there for things to work on and it could give you both something to work towards

Look here for an almost infinite number of suggestions and help.

http://www.clickertraining.com/dogtraining

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/

Thanks all, I will be focusing more on clicker training now that Max's cone is off.

He only has to see the clicker and he gets really excited and sits in anticipation for the first request.

Thanks for the suggestions I shall take a look at all of your links and see how we go

I agree with this - my dogs can 'nearly' do so many things but I never quite polish what I teach them! I guess if I competed then I would be less accepting of sloppiness.

With the wait, I too would click upon my return. You do not want any movement from the dog, it is to wait exactly where you left it in the position you left it so only click if it is still like that when you go back. If there is any movement (dog creeps forward or goes from a sit to a lie) then return, put the dog back in the position you want and try again.

Yes I am guilty of not finishing tricks. I like the challange of figuring out how I would teach the trick but often dont keep going with them
For example Ben can cross one paw but not the other, and Mias paw cross is not on cue - because I was more interested in the challange of HOW to teach it