get one! even though you say you don't need unconditional love you will appreciate your dog's loyalty and love. known many guys who said the same as you and became huge dog lovers.
with a dog that's already got a 'history' there can be issues - he/she could have had some bad times and just like people animals can be majorly fucked up by how they were treated when they were young. sometimes at shelters they know a lot about a dog, other times they only know what they've observed about the dog since he's been at the shelter.
if you're staying out in that big home in the country i'd definitely look for a 4 legged roommate or two
