There are essentially two responsible ways to acquire a dog (in my opinion).
1) Shelters/rescues. Check your local animal control or humane society. Check out petfinder.com for dogs in your area.
2) A responsible breeder. A good breeder, in my opinion, is one who does health testing, is breeding to better the breed in some way (and is active in conformation, sports, work, etc) and takes responsibility for any offspring they produce (will take any dog back at any time).
To find a breeder you should go to the breed's club website or visit shows and inquire about the dogs that you see.
You should avoid pet stores and back yard breeders (who usually advertise in newspapers). Back yard breeders are people who think that fluffy and buddy would make cute puppies, are in it for money or want to get another dog just like theirs. The dogs are usually riddled with health problems and do not fit the breed standard in looks or temperament. Back yard breeders put labels on dogs to make them more appealing, such as miniature boston terriers, teacup chihuahuas or yorkipoo.
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