Where does one 'get' a dog?

[DearTeddyRobinson]

For various reasons (mostly pressure from my kids) I'm starting to think seriously about getting a dog. A couple of friends have got puppies which are obviously adorable but I was thinking it might be easier to get an older dog - basically I don't want to potty train again.
So I have looked at various rescue places and they all say no kids, or must be a very experienced owner etc.
My kids are 5 & 8, and very kind to animals. They love DMIL's dog and cat and say hello to all the dogs we meet out and about. Having said that I have no illusions that it won't be me doing the bulk of the donkey doggy work.
So are my only alternatives either to to on a waiting list for a breeder, or wait till my kids are teens? There are loads of dogs advertised on Pets4U or whatever it is but I'm worried about puppy farms etc plus there have been some horror stories on MN.
Where do people get dogs? I know that sounds like I want to order one from Amazon, I do want to do my research but how do I weed out the problematic sellers? And if all those people who mistakenly thought a lockdown puppy was a good idea are now sending them all back to rescues, how come there aren't any available?

@Suzi888

Yes sign up to rescues and go along to the centres with your children (if possible).

In my experience, most rescues would prefer it if you don’t bring your children (especially young children) along when meeting a potential dog for the first time. It’s harder to decide that a particular dog isn’t right for your family when your children have fallen in love with it at first sight and are begging you to let them take it home.

Obviously once the adults have decided on a dog, the rescue will want the children to meet it multiple times to ensure that both the dog and children are comfortable with each other.