new lab?

Question
Dear Labman, We currently have 2 mini schnauzers, female 1 1/2 and male 1yr. The female is the boss, but not by much, she is a good girl. We are thinking of getting a Lab, do you think that the two breeds are compatible?  Also, would one gender be prefered over the other?  Thanks so much, pam

Answer
Dogs vary so much within a breed that I don't think it makes that much difference.  If you already have a highly dominant female, I wouldn't risk getting another female.  Whatever you get, work with the breeder on not getting a dominant member of the litter.  If the breeder doesn't seem to understand what you are talking about, find another breeder.  There are entirely too many people out there breeding dogs that know little about them.  Only expect problems from their ignorant mistakes.

You really can't count on how any puppy will turn out.  One of the best sources for dogs with a predictable personality is the rescue dogs.  These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home to be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them.  You may find a rescue near you starting at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm  The rescues charge a fee to help cover their expenses, but is much less than the price of a puppy plus all its medical expenses the first year.

the more dogs you have, the more important it is for you to give them good leadership.  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