We adopted, or should I say she adopted us, a Bassador that had been rescued from an abusive/neglectful home. The first few weeks she was extremely timid, wouldn't let us pet her, would cower when we tried, but was housebroken even though we were told she had been an outside dog. When she realized that she was going to fed and loved, she became very protective of her new family--to the point of being a little over aggressive. Now that we've had her for a year, she's realized that she's here to stay and has calmed down and become a wonderful addition to our family. We can even let the grandchildren around her without fear. She's so happy now. Humans always need time to adjust to any new situation (you had to adjust when you had a baby didn't you? and when they left home? lol) It's the same with animals, they need time to adjust.
half lab, half basset