It definitely takes time. I rescued both of my boys and with both of them, it took time for them to adjust.
My older dog came to me at 7 years old from a friend of my mothers who used him as a breeder. She told me that he was aggressive with the other dogs and would do better in a single dog home. He was ok with me, I thought.... until I got him home. Within an hour or 2 of his arrival, he tried to bite me. He was afraid of me and I had to keep a leash on him for the first few days because I couldn't catch him. Come to find out, he is fear aggressive towards strangers.
Today, we are best of friends. He still doesn't like strangers and he wasn't the dog I had envisioned getting as he hates going anywhere but on walks around the neighborhood and he's still scared of strangers....but I love him nonetheless and we are working with his quirks.
My second dog was 2 when I got him and he didn't have nearly as many problems socially, but it took a while to bond. He had escaped his previous owners and he tried to run out my front door a few times when I first got him. He likes his house now and no longer tries to escape. He's a little velcro doggie...and ironically, he gets along great with my other dog!! They are best buds as well!!
It might take your little one a while to start trusting you. Who knows what happened in her past. I bet in a few months, you guys will have a completely different relationship!! |