I work at a shelter as an adoptions counselor so I deal with people who are in your position all the time: just trying to find the perfect match. In my opinion I do not think breeders are the best way to go. For one, most breeders treat their dogs very inhumanely by inbreeding. Inbreeding has been done for years in an attempt to get the desired traits of a certain breed in every single litter. But sadly inbreeding is incredibly unhealthy for the dogs because it causes a lot of genetic mutation. You can easily google how many of the most popular breeds are prone to certain painful, terminal diseases, (like hip dysplasia or short spine syndrome in German shepherds; brachycephaly in pugs, boxers, and bull dogs just to name a few) all because of a lack of genetic variation in the gene pool. And, many breeders basically just exploit puppies for money. Shelters will be a lot cheaper. At the shelter I work at, it's $165 for puppies and that includes spaying/neutering, all basic vaccines, and some puppy food, and we offer free training classes. I'm not saying all breeders are terrible, there are some who do not inbreed and really care about the quality of life of their animals. But there's no way to tell the good from the bad because the bad ones will be USDA licensed anyway.

Also, don't focus on trying to plan out finding the perfect dog. Just look around and let the dog find you.