I personally look for signs of self-confidence and control. I did that with Ben and it worked. The day I went to pick him up from the police unit just outside Constanta, I tested Ben like this: as he was willing to get from point 'a' to point 'b', I placed my foot in such ways as if to stop him from going to the desired point; he could either stop and play with my shoe, or maybe just stop and wait for my foot to get out of his way, or even go back to point 'a' (which is not necesarily a sign of fear, but rather suspicion towards me). But instead, Ben tried his best to either walk over my foot, around it.. as he tried that, I kept moving my foot in ways to stop him from making any progress. Regardless of what I was doing, he kept trying and trying, eventually even (almost) barking. All these things communicated to me two things - that he was determined and self-confident.
Romana:
Eu personal, cand aleg un catel, caut semne de control de sine si incredere in sine. Asa am procedat cu Ben si nu am regretat. Cand m-am dus sa-l iau de la sectia de politie din Palazu Mare (in afara Constantei), cam asa l-am testat: Ben incerca sa mearga de la un punct catre altul, iar eu mi-am pozitionat piciorul in asa fel incat sa-i pun obstacol, sa vad ce face. El ar fi putut sa se opreasca sa se joace cu pantoful meu, sau sa se opreasca si sa astepte pana iau piciorul din drumul lui, sau pur si simplu sa se intoarca inapoi de unde a plecat (sa zicem punctul 'a') - ceea ce nu ar fi insemnat neaparat frica, ci suspiciune fata de mine. In schimb Ben a continuat sa incerce sa treaca fie peste pantoful meu, fie sa-l ocoleasca, iar intr-un final incepuse sa si vocifereze. Asta pt mine a insemnat 2 lucruri - determinare si incredere.