Hansam,
The info. in your posts pertaining to ruining breeds , breeding for show versus breeding for what a breed was originally designed to do is spot on and shows your knowledge of how many breeds are being ruined.
Thanks for your posts.
The best advice I can give the OP is whichever breed he chooses is to:
A) Extensively research the breed and be armed with the knowledge of what physical and mental characteristics of that particular breed are supposed to be versus what the show breeders are breading for today.
B) Research the breeder/kennel to see if the seller has a reputation of breeding for show or is interested in breeding for what the breed is intended for.
C) Armed with the above knowledge, if at all possible, see the parents of the pup to insure they meet the specific requirements you learned of that breed.
D) DON'T BE RUSHED. A breeder rushing and not spending time with you is NOT interested in anything but making a sale. A good breeder that cares for their animals wants a good match between the pup they sell and new prospective owner.
This whole process takes time but remember, you're hopefully going to have the dog for many years so the time spent up front is well worth it.
One more thing. After you've researched/picked your breed, call some of your local vets., tell them specifically what your looking for(as in a breeder not breeding for show but has an old bloodline for that specific dog that breeds for dogs original purposes) and ask them if they know of any reputable breeders.