New family member?

A quick decision was made on Sunday to try bringing a rescued dog into our home. We had been thinking of having another dog after moving to our new house. I was in touch with a lady who, when possible takes in dogs she finds on the streets, or gets friends and neighbours to 'foster' until a permanent home is found. Anyway, I went over to see the dog she suggested (being fostered by her neighbour) and we decided we would give it a try.

The lady brought the dog over two days ago, introduced the female dog to Sabbath and we took her to a vet for a health check. She has minor skin problems, and needs vaccination and some other medication (suggested for all dogs which have been in the streets for some time).

We decided to call her "Topaz" ( a precious stone mentioned in Rev 21) but of course - no idea what name she has been called before. She has bonded fairly well to me (I fed and bathed her), and even to the others in the family - she is fine, no sign of unfriendliness or aggression to us........but somehow, she is rather aloof and even growls and snaps when poor Sabbath comes near her to check (smell) her out!! We scold her firmly for this, but it seems to persist. Plenty of possibilities for this - maybe she is on the defensive because of fear of other dogs from past experience, maybe she is just possessive and wants all the attention to herself. Or maybe this is just an adjustment reaction to a new place and many new people around her, like a sudden sensory overload. Anyway, I am taking it slowly and carefully....don't want to traumatize poor Sabbath (who probably thinks she is more human than dog!) but also want to give it a fair trial to see if it will work out. Topaz is a good size - almost the same size as Sabbath, except with short hair. And she is around 3 - 5 years old, according to the vet.

Well, I pray that all will work out for the best. And if Topaz just cannot get along with another dog in the house, I will just return her to the rescuer, who would take her back and find another home for her.