Depending on the situation from which they were rescued they can be tough. At the Oregon Humane Society in Portland we get a lot of "Second Chance" dogs and some dogs confiscated due to abuse through forfeiture in the court system. The Second Chance dogs are most often dogs that have been picked up by Animal Control somewhere (as far away as S-CA and HI) and then transferred to us for their second chance rather then being euthanized. Often we know nothing about the dog's history so we have to evaluate them as best we can before we present them for adoption. The confiscated dogs we know about but their situation can be much worse than a "stray" because of the conditions in which they were born and grew up. They are rarely socialized at all and can often be some of the more challenging breeds like Pit-Bulls and Akitas. I'll have to say I've met some of the sweetest, loving dogs of both those breeds though. You just have to know that they may LOVE humans but may be VERY aggressive toward other dogs of any breed.
A dog is a real commitment. I've had mine for 16 years. He's doing well for his age. Getting pretty blind now but still able to get around, take long walks and occasionally annoy the crap out of me 
still. He has steps that help him get onto the bed now so he doesn't injure himself jumping.
Again, thanks for adopting! Yep, he's going to be pretty active for some time. You might also try doggie day-care if you have one easily accessible to you and can afford it. That was a big help for my baby.
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