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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.