Hi I was wondering if anyone could help point me in the right direction when it came to selecting a dog? I would love to have a dog from a breeder since all my previous dogs have been from rescues but have no idea how to go about it.

The  most important thing is that, in general, the breed must be highly sociable as I hope to be able to take the pup into college with me for socialising (after vaccinations etc) and this would mean allowing college students to use him for practicals (dog handling/grooming), and that the breed in general isn't overtly dominant, not sure I could handle a very dominant dog at this stage of my progression (moving on from the family's dog, aka dad's dog, onto my own), other than that I have no set specifications. I work at a grooming parlour and i'm very willing to spend hours on grooming or very little, depending on what's needed, and I can provide a romp about an arboretum, local park and an enclosed field every day, generally between 1/2 an hour to one hour each day when the dog is mature enough to cope, it's unlikely he'd be left alone for more than half an hour at a time as if I can get the college arrangements sorted he can come with me whilst he can come with me to the parlour or stay with my family on Mondays/Saturdays.

This isn't an immediate plan, I want to see how my first year goes, and getting a go ahead from the animal care management before even getting on a waiting list, but since i'm in a posistion to have the dog with me, and the job i'm currently doing would allow me to bring him with me, i'd like an idea of breeds I could research.

Thank you for reading,
Kerry

sounds to me most breeds will suit you, see the most!  What sort of size are you looking for?  small, medium or large?  I'm guessing you would like an easy to train dog, so maybe something from gundog group or pastoral?  Are you more intrested in a little dog from the toy group? 

why don't you register and then you can ask many many more questions?

Golden  Retriever!

Would have thought maybe something along the lines of a cavalier or a cocker?
Archer

If you are a groomer - what about an American Cocker - lots of scope with that coat !! :D

Registered ^-^
At the moment i'm saying any breed that fits in the medium-large catergories, a lot of the Cockers I groom are quite wonderful, they always remind me of Victorian ladies for some reason, except when we have to completely clip them off, I feel so guilty.
I was thinking of a Border Collie, which was suggested to me by a tutor at college, but after reading more about them perhaps the stimulation levels needed to stop the erratic behaviour most in rescue/I know have would be too much, i'd hate to do harm to a perfectly good dog all because I can't provide what they need.
American Cockers are wonderful, but i've only met one and that was at dog training, she was a beautiful dog though.
I suppose really i'm quite easy, yeah easy to train would be a most, though I have to say I couldn't live with a Labrador or Golden Retriever. I have nothing against the breeds but for some reason they really don't appeal to me, if there was one that really needed a home I wouldn't say no but if I was deliberately going out, looking for a breeder etc. they are one breed I would never look for, it could purely be that i've seen so many badly bred ones (temperment wise) and that these are the only breeds i've been bitten by, perhaps seeing a good dog would change my mind?
I'm not really helping to narrow the list down am I? My mother said one day i'll take a dog home and be smitten by that breed, until then i'm doomed to loving a lot of dogs of all shapes, colours and sizes xD