I can see your point. Also, I commend you for being realistic about it. In my experience, many people that get pets just think they're some kind of accessory that they can take out when they feel like it and ignore it the rest of the time. Pets are a huge commitment.
Anyhow, I've been feeling ready to get a dog again. Then, the other night, I had insomnia long enough that I knew the next day was going to suck. And I was like "well at least I don't have a needy crazy dog that will demand my time on top of it."
Although who knows? Maybe a pet would force me to get more sleep. And make it easier to get to sleep. For 10 years I was conditioned to wake up the instant something was wrong with The Dog or The Cat. But I also learned to immediately fall back to sleep once I realized it was just The Cat, puking in the other room--or whatever.