SNIFF TO SOOTHE: Rewiring Neurobehavioral Patterns of Aggression, Anxiety, and Reactivity Through Structured Scent Work by Will Bangura, M.S., CAB-ICB, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FDM, FFCP

Chapter Four: Stage One Nose Work – The Box Game -SNIFF TO SOOTHE: Rewiring Neurobehavioral Patterns of Aggression, Anxiety, and Reactivity Through Structured Scent Work by Will Bangura

• Will Bangura, M.S., CAB-ICB, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FDM, FFCP (Canine Behaviorist) • Season 1 • Episode 6

Share episode

Buy the Book SNIFF TO SOOTHE on Amazon

Chapter Four: Stage One Nose Work – The Box Game

In Chapter 4 of Sniff to Soothe, Certified Canine Behaviorist Will Bangura, M.S., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FDM, FFCP, Describes Watching a simple box transform into a confidence machine. We walk through Stage One of scent work—where a dog’s first wins are engineered, pressure is stripped away, and sniffing becomes a reliable path to reward. This is not obedience and it is not a test; it is the moment a dog learns that their own choices lead to success. For anxious, reactive, or storm-phobic dogs, that shift from waiting for cues to investigating on their own can change daily life.

We start with the single-box setup and the exact success metrics that matter: emotional ease and search accuracy. You will hear how to read latency, tail carriage, breathing, and recovery between reps, plus how to adjust instantly when hesitation creeps in. Then we add decoys to spark real decision-making and fade visual placement so scent—not sight or pattern—guides the search. Along the way, Riley’s story shows what agency looks like when a worried dog takes a quiet step forward and finds chicken on his own.

Next, we layer light obstructions like towels and cups to build persistence without pressure, and we broaden comfort with subtle spatial changes. Finally, we introduce start-line structure and clear start-stop cues that create emotional pacing: dogs learn when to work and when to rest, initiating searches smoothly and recovering calmly after a miss. Expect practical troubleshooting, reinforcement tips at source, and a clear picture of what “calm, focused, independent searching” looks like.

If you are ready to swap micromanagement for mindful design and help your dog think with their nose, this guide to the box game will get you there. Subscribe, share with a friend who has an anxious dog, and leave a review to tell us your first box-game win.

SPEAKER_00:

Chapter 4, Stage 1. Nosework, the Box Game. Stage 1. Find the treat in boxes. This is where scent work begins. A dog, a box, and a chance to succeed. For dogs with behavioral challenges, this first stage is not just about teaching the search, it is about creating a new emotional experience. When done correctly, the dog begins to feel successful, in control, and focused, not overwhelmed, confused, or pressured. This stage lays the groundwork for emotional safety, autonomy, and problem solving. It typically spans the first four to seven sessions with individual pacing based on the dog's arousal level, confidence, and ability to stay engaged. The timestamps that appear throughout this chapter, such as first four to seven sessions, function as signposts rather than deadlines. A stormphobic greyhound might revisit session one ten times before confidence blooms, whereas a bold beagle could reach the session four in a single weekend. Flexibility must guide that journey. Progression is governed by two metrics only: emotional ease and search accuracy. Whenever tension or confusion surfaces, the correct response is to pause, simplify, or even rewind a step. That adaptability is what makes this initial stage so critical. Not because it is flashy, but because it sets an optimistic emotional tone for everything that follows. Stage goals. Establish a simple and self-reinforcing behavioral loop. Sniff, find, eat without any verbal cues, gestures, or handler direction. Introduce the basic mechanics of scent work using food as both the target odor and the primary reinforcer. Begin building a calm, optimistic emotional association with the search area and materials, fostering early environmental comfort. Acknowledge quiet investigation, focused sniffing, and sustained engagement with the process with praise only. Reserve the terminal, reward marker, and food for commitment at source without prompting, luring, or obedience-based commands. Shape consistent search behavior rooted in curiosity and autonomy rather than external instruction. Create a positive or emotionally neutral conditioned response to the setup, space, and task structure. Encourage early task persistence while keeping arousal levels low, laying the foundation for durable independent searching. The hardest part of this stage is not arranging the boxes, it is relinquishing control. For many pet parents and even seasoned trainers, the instinct is to help by pointing, cueing, or correcting. Yet this exercise is not an obedience drill, nor is it about showing the dog what to do. Instead, it is about granting the dog the psychological room to explore, problem solve, and persist on their own terms. Once we remove that layer of pressure, the dog begins to process the environment differently. They are no longer waiting passively for instruction, they are actively learning to investigate, to choose, and to stay engaged. Session one, introduce the box game. Figure 4.1. Introducing the box game, the first step in scent work engagement. The box game is the starting point for scent work. This is where the dog begins to form an association between sniffing, investigating, and discovering reinforcement in a way that is low pressure and clear. The goal is not to test the dog or ask for obedience, it is to create an environment where the dog learns that using their nose leads to predictable outcomes and that they are in charge of making that happen. For many dogs, this may be their first time interacting with a box in a purposeful way. It is important that the experience feels easy, safe, and almost too simple. You want the dog to win immediately and repeatedly. This builds trust in the task and confidence in their ability to solve it. The setup is intentionally simple: one box, one piece of food, and one clear objective. There is no confusion, no obedience commands, no handler pressure, just a straightforward invitation to sniff and succeed. For dogs with especially fearful behaviors, that first step might mean starting with a treat on a plain piece of cardboard instead of inside a cardboard box or container, and that is completely appropriate. We meet the dog exactly where they are, emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively. Session setups for stage one. Location. Use a familiar, quiet indoor space with minimal distractions, ideally a room where the dog already feels safe and is not prone to scanning, pacing, or escape behaviors. Duration. Plan for three to ten minutes. You may stop earlier if the dog's interest wanes or continue until you have seen peak enthusiasm, followed by two more successful, stress-free repetitions. Materials. Prepare three to six open cardboard boxes, a small pile of high-value food rewards, such as bits of cut meat, liver, or freeze-dried treats, and optionally, a towel to provide mild visual obstruction if needed. Safety. Ensure a good footing with traction mats if the floor is slippery, and use baby gates or barriers to block exits or windows if the dog has a history of reactivity or environmental hypervigilance. Handler roll. Plant your feet, soften your shoulders, and zip your lips. Your stillness is the clearest signal that the dog, not you, drives the game. Step one, introduce a single box. Procedure. 1. Place one open box on the floor in a quiet room, ideally a familiar space with no distractions. 2. Have the dog watch you drop a piece of high-value food visibly into the box. The movement should be deliberate and easy to follow. 3. If the dog is already watching, no cue is necessary. If you want to use a verbal cue like go sniff, say it calmly as you release the dog toward the box. 4. Allow the dog to approach at their own pace. Do not prompt, guide, or lure. Let the decision to investigate come from them. 5. When the dog reaches the box and takes the food, offer quiet praise and let them disengage naturally. No marking in this session, just food and praise. 6. Pick up the box, reset it in the same or a slightly different location, and repeat the process three to five times, using a fresh piece of food each time. Look for the dog approaches within about 10 seconds of release. Loose tail wags, soft ears, and normal breathing instead of rapid panting. Handler observations, make a mental note, or jot it down later, of several things. How long does the dog hesitate before that first approach? Whether recovery after each reset is smooth or shows creeping uncertainty. If hesitation stretches past 30 seconds, the box or room still feels suspicious to the learner. The dog steps toward the box within 10 seconds on three consecutive reps. Body language stays loose and curious throughout. Every treat is located and eaten without any prompting or physical guidance. Troubleshooting. If the dog freezes longer than half a minute, angle your body away and soften your gaze. Sometimes indirect posture unlocks forward motion. Still stuck, exit the room together, share a casual breath break, then return with a smellier treat or a shorter-sided box to make the puzzle feel even safer. Once again, if hesitation stretches past 30 seconds, the box or room still feels suspicious to the learner. Here, a treat on a piece of cardboard may be this dog's starting point. Make it easy to succeed. Once those small victories stack up, you are ready to sprinkle in a second box and watch the real thinking begin. This exercise should look uneventful. That is a good thing. It means the dog is moving calmly, processing the task without confusion, and learning that the box is a reliable source of reinforcement. Do not worry if the dog seems unsure at first. Some dogs walk directly to the box and grab the food without hesitation. Others may pause and scan the room, unsure if this is a trap or a test. That hesitation is part of the learning process. As long as the dog is not stressed, let them work through it. The box is not going anywhere. It starts here, not with pressure, but with choice. This is not a performance, it is a foundation. The dog is not learning to search yet. They are learning to trust that this setup is safe, solvable, and worth engaging with. The box is not just a container for food, it is a container for success. And that is the point. Before we move forward, pause here. This moment, the single box, this simple choice, is the first real fork in the dog's emotional path. What you are building is not obedience or even search behavior, not yet. You are building trust in the process. The dog is learning, sometimes for the very first time, that they can approach something unfamiliar, make a decision on their own, and be right. That moment when a dog chooses to investigate instead of freeze, to step forward instead of stall, is the beginning of emotional agency. And for many dogs, especially those with anxiety, fear, or trauma histories, it is also the first time they have been given a puzzle without pressure. The box is more than a prop, it is an invitation to participate freely and without fear. The moment Riley took a step. I remember a dog named Riley, an older hound mix with eyes that seemed to carry a quiet kind of worry. He had been bounced through several foster homes, each with a different training method, and by the time he landed with his current pet parent, he flinched every time someone reached for their pocket. You could see the hesitation in his whole body, like he was not sure if the next moment was going to bring a reward or a reprimand. We started in a quiet room. Just one box, open and unthreatening, and a tiny slice of warm chicken dropped in while he watched. I did not say a word. No cue, no praise, no pressure. I just sat down and waited. At first he stood completely still, tail low, ears halfway back, just staring at the box, not moving, not sniffing, just frozen. After maybe 30 seconds, he looked at me, then back at the box. And then, he took one step, then another, and another. When his nose finally dipped into the box and he found the food, his whole posture changed. Not dramatically, but noticeably. His tail gave a single tentative wag. He glanced up, then back at the box, then started sniffing the corners like he was trying to understand the rules of this strange, quiet game. By the third repetition, he was walking over to the box with intent. No commands, no lures, just curiosity, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of hope. That was the first time I saw Riley choose to engage with something new without hesitation. And for a dog who had learned to freeze in uncertainty, that moment of choice meant everything. Session two, building choice and confidence. Before moving on to the next step, it is essential to understand what is actually happening here, not just behaviorally, but emotionally. In the next step, we will introduce decoy boxes. By introducing decoy boxes, we are asking the dog to make choices, and choices where confidence starts to grow. This is not just about locating food, it is about learning how to search, how to persist through mild uncertainty, and how to succeed without micromanagement. Success criteria before advancing. Checkmark. Only progress to session two, introducing multiple or decoy boxes, once the dog consistently demonstrates all of the following behavioral and emotional benchmarks. Voluntary approach. The dog approaches the single box within 10 seconds of release on at least three consecutive repetitions without any handler prompting, luring, or gestural cues. Emotional ease. The dog's body language remains soft and inquisitive throughout. Look for loose tail carriage, neutral to forward ears, and smooth movement. No signs of freezing, excessive scanning, panting, or avoidance should be present. Self-initiated engagement. The dog moves toward the box entirely on their own, without physical guidance or encouragement. This includes the initial rep and all resets. Food retrieval without hesitation. Each food reward is found and consumed inside the box without pause, sniff and leave behavior or reluctance. Quick recovery between trials. After each repetition, the dog resets easily. They do not show increasing hesitation, stress signals, or disengagement from the task as the session continues. Stable curiosity across location changes. The dog continues to investigate the box with the same level of interest, even when it is moved slightly between repetitions. This indicates generalization of the reinforcement pattern. Minimal latency, no freezing. If hesitation exceeds 30 seconds on any repetition, the dog is not yet emotionally ready for added complexity. Reassess the environment, reinforce her value, or start point, e.g., use a flat piece of cardboard instead of a box. Handler remains silent and still. The handler's stillness has become a non-contingent cue for the dog to take initiative. No unintentional signaling, eye contact, or movement is influencing the dog's approach. Demonstrated confidence shift. In dogs that were initially hesitant or suspicious, there should be an observable emotional shift toward agency, subtle tail wags, quicker orientation to the task, or more exploratory sniffing around the box. When these conditions are reliably met across three to five box presentations within a single short session, the dog is ready for increased cognitive load through choice-based searching in session two. Session two is often when patterns emerge, both for the dog and the handler. Some dogs rush, some freeze, some go straight for the last place they were reinforced. That is okay. This phase is about observing, not correcting. Let the dog explore, let them miss, let them figure it out. Because that moment of discovery, when they check an empty box, pause, then keep sniffing, is where emotional flexibility starts to build. And emotional flexibility is what helps reactive, anxious, or overwhelm dogs begin to regulate their own behavior. Now let us add some choice. Let us add some decoys, and let us stay out of the way while the dog learns that persistence pays off. Session two to three, add decoys and choice. Now things start to get interesting. At this point, your dog has probably figured out that sniffing the box with food gets a reward. Simple, satisfying, but if we stop there, we are not really tapping into what scent work can do. This session is where we begin to stretch that nose-to-brain connection. We add in decoys, boxes that look the same but hold nothing, and invite the dog to make a choice. That is the shift from reacting to thinking. There is no pressure here. We are not asking for perfection. We are just planting the seed that not all boxes are created equal. It is a small but important lesson. Scent, not sight, holds the answer. You might notice your dog pause for a moment longer, maybe circle back, or double check. That is good. That hesitation means their brain is starting to process. And honestly, that is the whole point. We are shaping a dog who does not just rush and guess, but starts to problem solve with their nose. I have seen dogs make this leap mid-session. One moment they are bouncing from box to box, and the next it clicks. Their body language changes. They slow down, lower their head, and their tail might even stop wagging. They are working now, thinking. It is like watching gear turn inside their mind. Let them figure it out. Do not help. If they check a blank box, let them keep searching. If they miss the hot one at first, that is okay too. These are not failures, they are part of the process. Dogs learn from the act of searching, not just from being right, and remember we are building not just a behavior, but a mindset, one of curiosity, persistence, and self-guided discovery. Once the single box setup becomes predictable and emotionally safe, it is time to expand the framework just slightly. Step two introduces the first real variable, choice. By presenting several identical boxes but only reinforcing one, we shift the experience from guaranteed success to thoughtful investigation. This is not about tricking the dog or testing them. It is about planting the idea that scent, not visual memory or pattern, will guide the solution. This shift is subtle, but it marks the beginning of real search behavior. Now the dog is not just repeating a loop, they are making decisions, applying curiosity, and building confidence through trial and error. For both pet parents and professionals alike, this is often where the work starts to feel more dynamic. It is also where the dog's emotional flexibility starts to grow. You are still keeping things simple and solvable, but now you are letting the dog learn how to stay with the task, even when the answer is not immediately obvious. Step two, introduce multiple boxes, one hot. Figure 4.2 Early Choice Training. The dog learns to identify the correct box using scent, not sight. Prerequisites. The dog has completed at least one session with a single open box containing food and has shown consistent engagement with the sniff arrow, find arrow, eat loop. They are comfortable in the environment and demonstrate calm, sustained investigation of the box without needing handler input. Goals. Introduce the concept of choice through multiple identical containers, only one of which is reinforced. Begin shaping problem-solving behavior driven by olfactory information rather than visual patterns or memory. Reinforce curiosity, emotional flexibility, and persistence in the face of ambiguity. Maintain a low arousal, emotionally neutral or positive experience. Deepen the dog's understanding that scent, not sight or chance, holds the answer. Session setup. Location, quiet, familiar indoor space with minimal distractions. Materials, three to four identical open cardboard boxes, high-value treats, meat, liver, freeze-dried, etc. Optional towel or visual barrier for future stages. Duration, five to ten minutes or until two clean successes pass peak enthusiasm. Safety. Provide traction mats if needed. Use gates or soft barriers to block escape paths if reactivity is a concern. Handler roll. Stay quiet, neutral, and still throughout. Your body language, gaze, and positioning should not guide or influence the dog's choices. Let the dog process and investigate at their own pace. Avoid pointing, resetting, or interrupting the dog's search process unless they disengage entirely. Procedure 1. Place three to four identical boxes on the floor, spaced about one to two feet apart. 2. While the dog watches, drop a treat into just one box. Leave the others empty. 3. Step back to your start position and use a soft start cue if desired. Go sniff or allow the dog to begin naturally. 4. Allow the dog to investigate freely. Do not correct or redirect if they check an empty box. 5. When the dog correctly identifies the hotbox, mark the fine with a clicker or verbal marker, such as yes, and deliver the reward at source at the box. 6. Repeat three to five times, rotating the hot box location each round. Begin fading the dog's ability to watch placement after the first few repetitions. Hide examples. Hotbox visible, no closed flaps, no lid. Treat placed openly in one of four boxes. All boxes are visually identical. No odor added to decoys. Optional. Add a mildly distracting, scentless object, e.g., paper towel, to one decoy in later reps. Look for hesitation or pausing between boxes. Rechecking or circling behavior. Nose drops to the box seams or corners. Head movements slowing as they approach the correct box. Search behavior is becoming more deliberate, less impulsive. Handler observations. You may notice the dog beginning to slow down, check and recheck, or even stop wagging their tail as they work. These are signs that they are beginning to process information with intention rather than impulse. Do not intervene. Let them work it out even if they check multiple boxes or miss the hot box on the first try. This is where learning happens. Success criteria before advancing. Check mark. The dog consistently identifies the correct box in at least three out of four trials without needing to see the placement. Search behavior remains calm and persistent even when the correct box is not immediately chosen. No signs of frustration, disinterest, or escalating arousal during the search. Troubleshooting. If the dog becomes frantic or starts checking boxes rapidly without focus, reduce the number of boxes and make the food more obvious. If they lose interest, increase the value of the reward or simplify the setup. If the dog repeatedly chooses the same box based on pattern rather than scent, rearrange the box order more frequently and begin hiding placement from view earlier. Avoid overhelping. If the dog looks to you for guidance, remain still and neutral to encourage independent problem solving. Tips reinforce at the box. Do not call the dog away. If the dog becomes frantic or escalates, reduce the number of boxes and increase hide visibility. If the dog checks an empty box and leaves it, say nothing. Let them keep searching. By this point, your dog is not just sniffing, they are starting to think. That is where the real benefit kicks in. In sessions four and five, we gently shift the challenge from where the reward is to how it is accessed. We are not adding pressure, we are adding complexity, and there is a big difference. These tasks are still solvable, still designed for success, but now they invite the dog to engage their brain more deeply, to lift a towel, to investigate a cup, to choose between containers that look the same but smell different. Then in sessions six and seven, we begin layering in structure. Why? Because structure builds clarity and clarity supports autonomy, a start line, a predictable cue, and an end marker. These are not just obedience exercises. They give the dog a rhythm to follow. The real win here is not finding the box quickly, it is learning to keep trying after a miss, to stay engaged without needing direction, and to regulate arousal in the face of light difficulty. That is what we are building. Not just skill, but stability. Session four to five, obscure the rewards slightly. By now your dog has learned that sniffing pays off, and that sometimes it takes a little more than a quick glance to figure out where the good stuff is. In sessions four and five, we start adding just a touch of friction, nothing overwhelming, just enough complexity to make your dog pause, think, and push through a small puzzle. This is where you shift from obvious hides to something slightly obscured, not buried, not sealed, just lightly tucked under a towel or slipped inside a paper cup. The goal is not to stump your dog, it is to encourage them to stay in the game when the solution is not instantly visible. You might see a moment of hesitation the first time you introduce this. That is normal. Some dogs will paw right away. Others might freeze and look at you, confused, like, wait a second, wasn't it just sitting there a minute ago? And that moment, right there, is where the learning begins. When they make the choice to lean in, sniff a little harder, maybe nudge something with their nose, or try again after a miss. That is the beginning of real persistence. We are also gently expanding their environmental comfort zone. Maybe one box is placed a few feet off to the side. Maybe another one sits just slightly higher, like on a small mat or step. Nothing dramatic, just enough to say, hey, things move sometimes and that is okay. This kind of subtle variation helps dogs generalize the search pattern rather than becoming overly reliant on routine or predictability. And remember, this is still all about the nose. We are not baiting them into a guessing game. We are guiding them to stay in their body, to stay grounded in scent. The visual layer is just that, a layer, not a trap. What you are really rewarding is the mindset, the engagement, the effort. So let them explore. Let them test their own ideas. If they walk away, do not call them back, just wait. If they dig in and solve the puzzle, reinforce generously. Not just because they found the food, but because they did not give up when the answer got slightly harder to find. That is a dog who is learning to problem solve. That is a dog who is developing resilience. Prerequisites. The dog has completed multiple multi-box search sessions that include at least one decoy container. The dog reliably uses scent to locate a visible food reward rather than relying on visual memory or guesswork. The dog remains calm and emotionally regulated even after making incorrect choices. The dog demonstrates persistent searching behavior without signs of frustration or disengagement. The dog works independently in the search area without requiring verbal cues, body prompts, or handler support. Goals. Introduce low-friction problem solving by lightly obscuring the target reward, e.g., under a towel, inside a cub. Encourage persistence and emotional flexibility when the solution is not immediately visible. Begin generalizing the search pattern across minor variations in elevation, spacing, or layout. Shape effort and investigation rather than just correct identification. Maintain low arousal and preserve confidence through solvable, success-oriented setups. Continue building resilience by rewarding the dog for staying on the task even when challenged. Session setup, location, familiar indoor space. Consider expanding slightly to include variation in box placement, e.g., along a wall, on a mat. Materials, I mean three to four open cardboard boxes, high value food rewards, visual barriers, e.g., small hand towel, paper cup, optional elevation, e.g., a low platform, folded blanket, duration, 7 to 10 minutes, or until the dog completes several thoughtful, calm repetitions without escalation or disengagement. Safety. Ensure stable footing near any slight elevation. Keep material soft and non-frightening. Avoid clutter that could create physical hesitation or over arousal. Figure 4.3. The dog investigates a lightly obscured scent target, building persistence and problem-solving skills. Handler role. Stay neutral, quiet, and still. Do not point, coax, or cue. Watch with curiosity, not evaluation. If your dog pauses or looks confused, resist the urge to help. Let the moment stretch. The pause is the learning window. Support comes through design, not direction. Your job is to create a solvable challenge and let the dog meet it on their terms. Procedure. 1. Place three to four open boxes in familiar positions. 2. Tuck the food reward lightly under a small towel, napkin, or inside a tip paper cup within one of the boxes. 3. Leave the decoy boxes empty or with scent neutral filler. Optional. 4. Let the dog begin naturally or give a soft verbal cue. Go sniff. 5. Allow the dog to fully inspect and interact with the boxes. If they hesitate or pause, allow time for them to problem solve. 6. Reinforce generously at the source when they identify and engage with the hidden reward. 7. Reset for three to five total trials, rotating the hide location and adjusting the level of visual obstruction as needed. 8. Optional. Introduce subtle environmental changes, e.g., moving a box a few feet away, raising one slightly on a matter book. Hide examples. Food placed under a loosely draped towel in one box. Treat inside a paper cup lying on its side within a box. The box is placed one foot away from the others to encourage full scanning. Hide elevated two to three inches to shift posture or angle of approach. Decoys fully open with no odor to maintain scent discrimination. Look for momentary hesitation, followed by increased sniffing or physical investigation, rechecking or double takes between boxes. Nose to object contact, sniffing seams, edges, or corners. Pause nudges or head tilts indicating curiosity and problem solving. Slower, more deliberate body movement compared to previous sessions. Handler observations. Watch for your dog's first moment of doubt and what they do with it. Do they pause and scan? Do they nudge or persist? Do they leave and come back? These are signs of cognitive engagement. This is where problem solving begins. Reinforced not only when they get it right, but when they stay with the task without becoming frantic or frustrated. Success criteria before advancing. Check mark. The dog consistently completes three out of four trials with light obstruction, without disengagement or escalation. The dog shows investigative behavior when faced with a minor challenge pausing, rechecking, nudging. Emotional state remains. Confident or neutral even during failures or hesitations. Search behavior slows and becomes more thoughtful without visual dependence. Troubleshooting. If the dog disengages or appears stressed, simplify immediately, remove the towel or switch to a more visible reward. If they repeatedly attempt to look to the handler for guidance, reduce handler movement, or reposition yourself further away. If arousal escalates, e.g., frantic pawing or barking, reduce the difficulty and increase reward frequency to rebuild fluency. Avoid reinforcing frantic problem solving. Instead, mark and reinforce calm investigation and steady engagement. By the end of step two, your dog has begun to develop a simple but powerful habit, using their nose to make choices. They are no longer guessing randomly, nor are they relying solely on visual cues. They are beginning to work. Step three builds on that foundation by adding just a touch of complexity, not enough to frustrate, but enough to encourage persistence. This is where we begin shaping a different kind of focus, one that asks the dog to problem solve with their nose when things are not immediately obvious. It is not about making the game harder, it is about making the learning deeper. You are inviting the dog to stay engaged when the path to reinforcement requires an extra step, a nudge, or a moment of sustained attention. And that shift from instant success to earned success is one of the most important turning points in scent work. Session six to seven, introduce search structure. By this stage, your dog knows what the game is. They understand that scent leads to reward, and they are beginning to show some real confidence in their searches. So now we start shaping how that work is framed. Not to make things harder, but to bring in some rhythm, some structure, something predictable that helps the dog shift into a working mindset the moment the session begins. Structure might sound like a rigid word, but here it is about clarity. We are giving the dog a clear beginning and a clear end. That kind of predictability is grounding, especially for dogs who tend to get overstimulated or unsure when they do not know what is coming next. A simple start line, a towel, a doorway, a spot on the floor can create that moment of stillness before the work begins. It becomes a ritual. You bring your dog to the line, pause with them, and then offer your start cue. Go sniff, or whatever feels natural to you. With time, you will see it happen. They shift their weight forward, their nose dips down, it is like you have flipped a switch. At the end of the session, you do the same thing in reverse: a soft all done, and the work is over. No ambiguity, no mixed messages, just clean, consistent cues that bracket the activity. This is not just foundational training, it is emotional pacing. These cues help your dog regulate themselves across the session. They know when to engage, and just as importantly, when it is okay to rest. During resets between trials, keep your dog close to the start line. Let them wait while you rebate the box. Avoid walking together to the setup each time. That little bit of independence matters. You are teaching them to work the search on their own, not as a team effort. That is especially important as we begin to move into more complex search areas later on. And one more thing, do not rush it. There is no finish line here. This stage is where we reinforce calm problem solving, not fast success. Speed will come naturally, but it is the composure that matters. Now that the dog understands the task, begin adding routine and clarity around the beginning and end of each session. Step three, add light visual or spatial challenge and light structure. Prerequisites. The dog has completed multi-box search sessions that include visual obstructions and minor environmental variation. The dog reliably locates hidden food using olfactory cues rather than visual aids. The dog demonstrates consistent persistence without signs of frustration. The dog works calmly and maintains sustained engagement throughout the search. The dog no longer relies on visual prompts or looks to the handler for direction. Goals. Introduce a clear and consistent structure for beginning and ending each search trial. Establish predictable cues and environmental markers, e.g., start line, verbal signals, to help the dog regulate arousal and settle into a working rhythm. Build independence by teaching the dog to initiate searches without handler movement or shared approach. Reinforce composure, emotional pacing, and focused engagement throughout the search process. Support the development of a self-regulated working mindset that generalizes to future environments. Session setup, location, familiar indoor training area with minimal distractions. Consider using a different space from prior sessions to encourage generalization while maintaining emotional safety. Materials, three to four identical open boxes, high value food rewards, optional light visual barrier, e.g., towel, paper cup, designated start line, e.g., towel, mat, doorway threshold. Duration, 10 to 12 minutes or 4 to 5 repetitions with clean start-stop transitions and strong emotional regulation. Safety. Keep the environment stable. No unstable elevations or sudden changes in setup. Avoid high arousal or distracting stimuli nearby. Handler roll. Your role now includes emotional pacing. Guide the flow of each trial without micromanaging the dog's choices. Bring the dog to the start line and pause briefly to anchor their attention. Offer a consistent verbal cue, e.g., go sniff, and remain still while the dog works. During resets, keep the dog at the start line while you rehide the treat and avoid escorting them to the boxes. At the session's end, offer a clear release cue like all done. These bookend cues become part of the dog's internal rhythm and help regulate arousal, focus, and recovery. Figure 4.4. Handler and dog pause at the start line before beginning the scent search. Procedure 1. Set up three to four boxes with one hot box, obscured or open, and others as decoys. 2. Bring the dog to the start line and pause for a brief moment of stillness. 3. Give the verbal start cue, e.g., go sniff, and remain at the start line. 4. Allow the dog to investigate independently, do not accompany them. 5. Mark and reinforce calmly when the correct box is identified. Reward at the source. 6. Lead the dog back to the start line and keep them there as you reset the search. 7. Repeat 3 to 5 times, maintaining consistent start and end rituals. 8. After the final repetition, signal the session's close with a clear verbal cue. All done. Hide examples. One treat is partially obscured in a box under a towel or cup. Box location varied slightly across trials, but within the same search area. No visual pattern between trials, rotate hot box placement. Optional. Place one box farther away from the group to encourage scanning. Look for. Dog pauses at the start line, anticipates the cue. Forward weight shift or nose dip immediately after the start cue. Search begins promptly and continues with minimal distraction. Calm focused behavior during resets and waiting periods. Steady re-engagement after error or hesitation. Handler observations. Watch for signs that the dog is internalizing the structure. Do they settle quickly at the start line? Do they wait calmly between trials? These moments tell you the ritual is working. You are not just teaching a behavior, you are shaping a mindset. If the dog begins to initiate searches smoothly, remains composed during resets, and understands when work is over, you are seeing emotional regulation take hold. Success criteria before advancing. Check mark. Only move forward when the dog reliably initiates the search as soon as the start cue is given, with no additional prompting. Finds the correct box within 15 seconds in at least 80% of trials, maintains a calm body state, soft ears, lower neutral tail, smooth and fluid movement, stays engaged throughout the session without signs of frustration, over arousal, or disengagement, recovers quickly after making an error. HD checks a blank box but persists without concern. Troubleshooting. If the dog lags at the start line or seems confused, reduce distractions and offer a moment of quiet stillness before cueing. If they follow you to the boxes or require movement cues, spend more time reinforcing from the start line only. If the dog loses interest between trials, reduce session length or increase reinforcement value. If they become over-aroused, pause between reps, reduce search complexity, and reinforce moments of stillness and regulation. If your dog starts to escalate, disengage, or freeze up, stay here and simplify. You do not have to scale the challenge just because time has passed. This is about emotional stability, not checking a box. The real goal is not a faster find, it is a calmer, more focused learner. Chapter five is all about the room search. In stage two, we will expand the dog search radius into the environment, introducing room searches with distractions, elevation, and start line structure to teach orientation and persistence.