Lonely? Long to be needed? Adopt a pair of homeless dogs. They will love you unconditionally and they will keep each other company when you're busy or away. Most dogs and puppies left alone all day are miserable. Please give your pet a compatible (same size & personality) companion.
Donate to rescues. Most small rescues don't have the resources to do the paperwork to get IRS 501(c)3 status for tax-deductible donations. Larger rescue organizations do. All have huge vet bills, because they rescue dogs that most people don't want -- the elderly, sick, or injured ones.
Join the thousands of people every weekend relay-driving country pound puppies to metro rescuers who can find them good homes. There are no commitments; You choose each trip. Typical driver 'legs' are 60 miles. Trips are posted on dog rescue transport newsgroups. I've listed some on my Links page.
If you
must have a pure-bred puppy, never buy one from a pet
store! Pet stores usually buy puppies in lots from brokers,
who buy them from puppy mills. Puppy millers keep dogs in small, stacked, wire-floored cages,
like factory chickens, spending just enough money on them to keep them alive. Pet store employees
may tell you they only buy from good local breeders; it's not true!
No decent person will sell their puppies to pet stores, to spend who knows how long
sitting in small cages under bright lights, eventually sold to anyone who can pay the price,
regardless of character or home environment.
Both "millers" and loving, responsible breeders advertise puppies on the Internet. Ask how many dogs they have. Ask if their dogs are kept in their home or outside. Ask if they have tested their breeding stock for common defects such as bad knees (patellas), juvenile cataracts, and early-onset heart disease. These will cost you thousands of dollars in vet bills and uncountable heartache if your puppy develops them. (NOTE: health certifications expire after one year, and the AKC only cross-posts hip, elbow and eye certifications.) Ask for and check vet and customer references. Ask if you can see where all the dogs and where they live and sleep. Don't expect a breeder to spend much time talking to you unless you demonstrate both the ability to buy and the desire to spend lots of time with a sensitive, gentle, affectionate Japanese Chin.