Chapter 5: Supplies & Dog-Proofing
What your dog eats — and how you feed them — plays a bigger role in those early weeks than most people expect. A little thoughtfulness here goes a long way toward keeping your dog healthy, comfortable, and building trust from the very first meal.
Food
We'll do our best to send your new dog home with information about what they've been eating so you can continue that diet initially. Switching food abruptly is one of the most common causes of digestive upset in new dogs — and your dog's stomach is already under stress from the transition itself.
If you plan to switch to a different food, do it gradually over seven to ten days: start with mostly their current food and slowly increase the proportion of the new food each day. This gives their digestive system time to adjust without the added stress of an abrupt change.
It's completely normal for your new dog to have loose stool in the first few days, even without a food change. The combination of stress, new water, and a new environment is often enough to cause temporary digestive upset. A simple home remedy that works well: plain white rice mixed with a little canned pumpkin or shredded canned chicken. Both are gentle on the stomach and most dogs take to them readily. If loose stool persists beyond a few days or is accompanied by vomiting or lethargy, reach out to your vet.
Treats
Treats are one of your most powerful tools in those early weeks — for training, for trust-building, and for creating positive associations with you, your home, and new experiences. A few things to keep in mind:
Introduce one type of treat at a time. Start with a single variety and stick with it for a few days before trying something new. This makes it much easier to identify any allergies or sensitivities if your dog has a reaction — you'll know exactly what caused it.
Match the treat to the moment. Soft, small, smelly treats work best for training — they're quick to eat and high in value without filling your dog up. Save higher-value chews and longer-lasting items for crate time or quiet enrichment in their own space.
Hand-feed whenever you can. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build trust with a new dog, especially one who is shy, nervous, or still figuring out whether you're safe. Hand-feeding their regular meals or high-value treats teaches them that good things come from you — and that your hands are always a source of something positive, never a threat.
It's worth noting that food guarding around strangers is completely normal dog behavior, especially in rescue dogs who may have had to compete for resources in the past. Don't be alarmed if your new dog stiffens over their bowl or moves away to eat in private. Give them space, respect their boundaries around food, and refer back to the resource guarding section of Chapter 4 if you have concerns about the intensity of the behavior.