bringing home a new non-poodle dog with my 4 lb.poodle in the home

Question
I have a 4 lb. toy poodle, age 2; and an 8 year old basenji.  Both dogs are
neutered males, well socialized and get along with other dogs.  Poodle is
alpha.  We recently lost our oldest dog of old age, a large mixed breed who
was primarily a herding dog.  I very much want to get another large dog, and
my questions are:
1.  What breed or mix of breed would best adapt to our multi-dog family?
2.  Can I introduce an adult rescue dog safely?

The poodle is very possessive of me, the alpha human, and I worry about his
response.  We would like to get a border collie/am staff mix, but I am
concerned about the risks for my tiny dog; and think perhaps a herding dog
(without the am staff) would be the best bet.
Many thanks for your help.
Gina

Answer
I think getting an adult dog is an excellent idea.  We are killing millions of them for lack of homes, so finding one shouldn't be a problem.  It may be well to stay away from the Am staff, but I hesitate to suggest a breed or bred mix.  Dogs vary so greatly within a breed and mixed breeds even more.   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.  Many rescues also have mixed breeds.  Another good source for dogs is www.petfinders.org  

I think you would do well to introduce a female.  She would be less likely to upset your pack order.  Spay her, and let her be the top female and the Poodle continue as the top male.