Where to Get a Dog

We're getting closer to looking for our third family dog after losing our second one earlier this year. We've had two Milo rescues and both were great, but both also had serious health issues requiring years of daily care, including being carried up and down stairs (which was why our second dog was smaller!). 

For our third dog we're taking a different approach and thinking about temperament first - a dog that is a great family dog, but also one that is a good fit for our teenage autistic daughter. A sort of service dog, though not formally. Mostly snuggle-able, friendly, easy going, right sized. 

Other criteria include the ability to travel and also get along with other dogs (our second dog did not, necessitating in-home dog sitting every time we left town). 

I'm reaching out here to ask for recommendations for sourcing such dogs. While a rescue is not out of the question, we're looking into a Cavapoo or similar breed. We're super wary of breeding factories and have come across some rather scandalous situations where, for example, unhealthy dogs were brought into California from out of state and marketed as local. So we would greatly appreciate personal recommendations from good experiences in finding good dogs. 

Thank you!