@LowMaintenance101 - always happy to help!
My recommendation would be to reach out to breeders near you (you can access lists either from the kennel club, or from your local breed club), far ahead of when you expect to be ready for a puppy. Good breeders will have waiting lists and likely won’t advertise litters - so you want to speak to them in advance. You may have to go to further afield - but if you want a lab or retriever or spaniel, they are common enough you shouldn’t have to go too far. That being said I had someone travel 300+ miles for one of my pups once after waiting 2 years!
Remember though - just because a breeder is KC registered, or recommended by a breed club, does not make them a good breeder. Someone posted about a Goldie breeder a few weeks ago in ‘Doghouse’ - breeder was KC and recommended by the breed club. She also kept her ‘bitches’ at friends and families houses and bought them to her to get them pregnant and give birth…then sent them back to their homes again 8 weeks later.
You’ll want to talk to a variety of breeders and ask them questions such as; how many dogs they have (including active breeding bitches), how often do they have litters, what health tests they run on the parents (for example, heart checks aren’t considered mandatory for Goldies, but all of mine have them done because Goldies can have heart issues). Have a look at what different websites (UK kennel Club, American Kennel Club, UK Labrador pub [for example]) consider to be necessary health tests and what ‘good’ scores are. Don’t be afraid to be critical either of these recommendations - Goldie hip scores below 17 are considered ‘good.’ Personally, I would never want a dog above 7/8 as a combined score because, as you know, hip dysplasia can be really difficult both for the dog and the family.
A good breeder will be more than willing to talk to you about this and more. They may also ask you questions - that’s your opportunity to shine. It’s like a job interview. Think about what you can offer a dog. And don’t be worried about coming over as silly or foolish - I once asked someone why she wanted a Goldie so much and she replied ‘I want a best friend.’ And yes, Goldies can go wrong - as any dog can - but the frankness of her answer and the fact she’d shown throughout our conversation that she knew what dog ownership entailed, meant her slightly ‘naive’ answer there didn’t put me off. One ‘silly’ answer won’t ruin your chances. If you’re genuine and honest about your experiences and what you want, good breeders will appreciate that.
One you’ve spoken to breeders, consider for a few days/weeks, which breeder you got the best ‘vibe’ from. As you know, a puppy is a lifelong commitment and you need to pick the breeder you have the best relationship with and vibe from. Then ask them if you can go on their wait list (assuming you are content to wait that long)
So, my advice: do your research months or even a year+ in advance, think critically about what breeders say. Don’t take things at face value. And, if something feels wrong, turn away. I know it can seem like a mine-field, but it’s 100% worth it and good, ethical, breeders will appreciate the effort you’ve gone to.
I am really sorry for your loss - even after years, the passing of a much loved dog still hurts. It sounds like you did such a good job managing your DDogs condition, he was incredibly lucky to have you!