Try to find balance between a dog that is calm and curious, but also not totally at ease in that environment. It can be smart to do a foster to adopt so you get a sense of how the dog will be in your home. When I did that, I was able to determine that a very shy dog who was scared of men that I loved the look of wouldn't have a happy life with me, who wanted a dog I could take anywhere. There is a perfect home for every dog, and for that one, mine wasn't it.