We had the exact same issue with our dog, who is also from the humane society, and found the bell method mentioned above to work very well. He knows that he goes outside at our back door, so it also helps that there are stairs there. Whenever we hear him clamor down the stairs we know he needs to go out.
I wonder if it has to do with them being a bit timid in their new surroundings. Our dog would never bark, but now that he is a bit more comfortable in the house he will bark a bit when people come to the door, but nothing serious. I'm sure it takes them a while to learn the "house" rules and even though I am very appreciative of the great work that humane societies do, I bet they pick up some bad habits during their stay. I know for our dog, he cannot be crated around a bunch of other dogs (at a groomer or dog sitter) or else he gets incredibly nervous and gets very sick.
What kind of dog did you end up getting? Good luck!
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