Wells, you are wise to hold off on getting a dog friend at this time, I think. I am a "single dog parent" and while I love my houndies beyond all belief and can't imagine life w/o them, it does indeed put constraints on the plans you make for yourself.
With those 2 little faces at home depending on me for food, company, exercise and love, it is VERY difficult to take time away from the house when they're already spending a minimum of 9 hours home alone on a workday. I am able to swing by in the AM and spend 20 minutes or so to feed them and let them out, but still, it's a large chunk of the day by themselves.