ferrets and a 5 year old German Shepherds

Question
I am thinking about getting a ferret and I have a 5 year old German Shepherd that is kind of tertiroal and was wondering if I should get a ferret and if I decide to get a ferret what should I do

Answer
It is hard to say.  Certainly it would be too small to be a rival.  Herding dogs are usually friendlier to other species than hunting dogs or terriers.  You could try it, starting out being very careful.  It would be a long time if ever before you could leave them alone together.  

Nearly everything goes better if you are firmly established as leader.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm