I do quite a few variations for treibball and agility with my dogs. Normally I use a target rather than cones if they need to stop and hold a position (I use canning lids for paw targets, square mats for sits, etc.) I tend to use cones, poles, balls, etc. for wrapping/circling send outs. Just keeps the behavior more consistent and easier for me to judge and maintain criteria. It's easy to see if a dog sits or downs on a mat. It's not as clear if a dog needs to sit or down next to a cone. Over time they tend to sit or down closer and closer to the handler. It is however easy to see them circle around the opposite side of a cone...
Normally I use shaping to "magnetize" my targets. I like to see my dogs excited when the targets come out and trying to paw or knock them out of my hands as I lower them, before I ever start sending them to the targets away from me. I also make sure they immediately return to the target after eating a tossed reward before working the sendout.
Once that is taught (really want paw the target, sit on target, or other behavior) I work on distance and speed to a single target. I literally build just a foot or two at a time. I also teach from sending from both sides of my body.
Once I have some distance and an understanding of leaving my side and going to the target, I add the second. I start in a small triangle (myself and 2 targets). As my dogs get better I add distance.
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