Do the research yourself - no one should be taking breeder recommendations from anyone (particularly randomers off the internet) - and put in the time and effort. If you're not able to put the time and effort into finding a good breeder, you're not cut out to have a dog. Your chances of finding an unscrupulous breeder is far higher if you put in minimal effort.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but far too many people are way to cavalier when it comes to finding a good breeder - and both the pups and the owners suffer for it.
Kennel club website - look for fully health tested only - cross check with Champ Dogs. Speak to several breeders, vet them thoroughly. Be expected to be vetted yourself. Be prepared to wait several month if not closer to a year for a good, healthy, pup from a ethical breeder.
Telling a puppy farm breeder from a good breeder isn't hard. A puppy farm breeder will:
- Have multiple breeding bitches
- Have no bitches over the age of 5-6 (they dump them when they have outlived their use)
- Possibly have multiple 'stud dogs'
- Churn out more than one litter a year
- Not vet you
- Not fully health test
- Not like it when you ask questions.
- Likely have bitches who have had multiple (more than two) litters
- Brag about their '5star council licence'
- Likely have pups readily available all the time.
In comparison, an ethical breeder will:
- Likely have multiple generations of bitches (mum, grandma, great-grandma)
- Have 1-2 breeding bitches at a time (but most only have one)
- Likely not have the stud dog (some might, but it's very unlikely)
- Have, perhaps, a litter a year - but likely a litter every two years
- Ask you more questions than you are probably comfortable asking
- Want you to ask them questions
- Fully health test their dogs and, in many cases, do some testing on the pups
- Only breed from their breeding bitches once or twice
- Have a massive wait list - I don't know a good breeder with a wait list of less than a year
Too many people rely on recommendations from friends, or from the 'breed' group or from facebook or even tiktok - finding a good, health, puppy from a reputable breeder takes time, effort, resource and the ability to think critically (i.e. not taking peoples words on whether or not they are ethical).