Two Dogs better than one?

I know this has been asked before, but I thought I'd detail my
circumstances. My dog loves to play with other dogs. We go to the dog
park once a week or so and the neighbors meet on the weekend for a
playtime in the local park. I am wondering about getting a second dog.
My lab mix is a year old. He is fairly submissive, but will woof a bit
if a stranger comes into the yard. He is extremely well behaved and
very calm by nature. He seems to do well in the house alone. He is
there for 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon broken up
by a noon walk (I work only 10 min away ) He has never exhibited any
signs of trouble with being left alone, except he sometimes whines a
bit when he sees me getting ready to go. A filled Kong usually fixes
that. I think he just sleeps when I'm gone. I know he is fine in the
house with other dogs, as we've had friends with dogs stay with us and
there were no problems - got along, no jealousy, ate out of the same
bowl (them, not us ;-)

I am wondering if getting a second dog is tempting fate. Will bad
habits rub off on the good dog, or will having a good dog help with the
new dog's behavior? I thought maybe a grown dog from the shelter might
be good as I can let them play beforehand to see if they get along. On
the other hand I got my dog from the shelter as a pup, and lots of
training, socialization and attention seems to have resulted in a
beautifully behaved pet.
What do you think.

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