Lots of questions about adding another family member

[LissG]

wolfy is 18months old, male, not neutered (no plans on neutering him). we're thinking of adopting a german shepherd from a shelter or rescue. how do you know if your dog and another dog are compatible for living together? wolfy is very very friendly and loves other dogs of all sizes. obviously, he would have to meet the other dog...but what should i look for to see if they're really going to get along? maybe i'm over thinking it, but to me i'm thinking its one thing to meet another dog and romp around together in the park, and a totally different thing to share your water/food/toys/bed/mom with them. should the dogs meet multiple times to make sure they like eachother? can an un-neutered male be ok with a neutered male? if i get a second dog and they seem ok can i leave them home alone together right away? or keep them seperate when no one is home just to be safe for a while?

[kiya]

Whenever I have brought home the 2nd dog, I always opted for the opposite sex. Why not get a spayed female?

[Liesje]

If you plan to go through a rescue or shelter they will probably work with you and help answer these questions. Our rescue and the shelter where I previously volunteered had a process for adoption that involved gathering information about your current situation and what type of dog you're looking for and trying to find the most compatible match. When I have prospective adopters I required that I and the dog meet every family member and current canine family members before the adoption process moves forward (sometimes this happens multiple times).