There are lots of wonderful dogs here who need homes, but there aren't a lot of breeders, so if your wife only wants a pedigree schnauzer, I would suggest you get your dog in the States ASAP (so that it has plenty of time to adjust to you, be potty trained, etc. before the long plane ride).

One other thing to consider: I do not know what your housing accommodations will be here in Doha, but some compounds do not allow dogs (or dogs over a certain weight), so you may want to check on that before finalizing your housing arrangements.

Just FYI, if you go to the Qatar Groups tab at the top of the Qatar Living page, there is a group that discusses animal and pet issues, with links to the Qatar Pet Relocators firm, information for pet import, veterinary care, etc. I arrived here last year with a puppy and haven't had any problems. It is good that you are arriving in October, because many airlines will not ship animals in the warm-weather months for the health and safety of the animal (something to consider whenever you leave Qatar, if your contract ends in the summer) Good luck, and enjoy your new dog!