What dog breed is best to get as a companion for my Yorkshire Terrier?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I find that females have more issues with each other than opposite sexes. I would expose Molly to other small dogs first as a trial to see if she will tolerate a new house mate. Maybe try a foster situation or offer to pet sit a friends small breed dog. I think either breed would compliment a Yorkie but you can't predict personality conflicts! I wish you the best!

If you want a big, loving dog, a Labrador or Golden Retriever would be recommended. If a small breed is needed, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel makes a fantastic pet and companion. You should visit the local animal shelter and take a look at their offerings for adoption.

I am so sorry to hear about your losses. I would definitely consider a mixed breed dog from a shelter or rescue group. A medium to large sized dog, such as a retriever or pit bull mix might be a good size if you are looking for a dog to be a "protector". You will want to be sure to talk to the rescue group or shelter about what you are looking for in a dog and what your lifestyle is like (active vs. mostly sedentary, living in an apartment vs large fenced yard, other pets in the house) so they can fit you with the right personality for your dog. You can also look at http://www.akc.org/find-a-match/#slide1 to help get an idea of some breeds you may be interested in (however a mixed breed is always a great choice).

I'm so sorry you recently lost two dogs. Please accept my condolences for your loss. I would look into getting a dog around a year old for Maya, or possibly two to three years of age. This way, the dog would be fully vaccinated and house trained. It also wouldn't be as active as a puppy, but could still play with her. The dog should also be spayed or neutered. You can have either a male or female, I personally like having an even ratio of male to female, so I'd recommend a male dog. Breed, you could do something like a lab or Golden Retriever. Those are great dogs who get along with other dogs really well. I hope this helps.

As a generality, male-female pairings of dogs are typically more likely to get along than same-sex pairings. However, this rule does not hold true for every pair of dogs and the pairing of two dogs is based largely on the individual temperament of each. It tends to work best if both dogs are fixed (as I see that Allie has been spayed) because there are fewer hormonal-associated dominance issues. If you prefer adding a female dog, go for it! Just make sure that Allie first meets her new friend on relatively neutral ground (such as at a park) to try to avoid any territorial problems that may initially arise, even though it sounds as though Allie is quite passive and submissive. For at least the first few weeks of having a new dog in your home, be sure that all interactions between the dogs are supervised and do not leave them alone together while you are gone. I hope this helps you to make your decision! :-)

If your german shepard is not well behaved or aggressive I would highly recommend getting him under control before bringing a new dog into the situation. If he is aggressive as in growling/biting at people he should see a veterinary behaviorist. If he is just wild/doesn't listen, he should go to a dog trainer (with you) to get under control. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation for a trainer because not all trainers are equal. Once your dog is under control you can consider adding another dog into the household IF your dog is not aggressive to other dogs. You may consider working with a dog rescue who can find a dog for you that gets along well with other large dogs and will allow you to test the dogs out together. Breed doesn't matter as much as personality of the individual dogs.

This could be a good thing but I would first try to socialize her with other dogs to see if she will get along with other dogs. If you have family or friends with dogs and puppies, I would try to let her play with adult dogs versus young adults versus puppies to see which ones she likes better. You can use this information to see if she would cope well with a companion. Most dogs do well with a companion, but unfortunately some dogs prefer to be the only dog. I hope this helps!