I can tell you that the ultimate resource is www.PetFinder.com. You go on there, and type in your specifics - hometown, breed of dog, age of dog, gender of dog, etc., and the site gets you great listings of all the dogs available for adoption within a certain radius of your house.

It's nice because it's really reputable and well-known, so a LOT of rescue groups register with PetFinder, and I know that around us the ASPCA lists pet adoptions through PetFinder.

All of the animals on the site are from shelters or rescue groups, and are not breeder animals.

This is how I found my pug, Billie. And how I got my third cat, Ginny. In each case the site worked brilliantly and I was very happy. Trust me, I think you'll find it's the perfect resource!

Good luck!

Try your local animal shelter or surrounding animal shelters. They will have a vast amount of animals for adoption and they will have there shots and either be fixed or if they are to young will give you a discount for having them fixed when there age is sufficient. Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is a great act of kindness and you should be able to find a pet to your liking. Give it a try.
Adoption costs are quite small compared to a breeders cost. Remember you are adding another member to your family.

Search at http://adoptapet.com/

They search all adoptable pets in your area and you can search broad ranges of all different types of dogs in your area or select size, color, breed etc. You can see pictures, stories of the dogs, behavior tendencies, etc. It's a really great place to find a dog you know a whole lot about, then you just email the foster home or shelter that takes care of the dog and arrange a time to meet. Usually a foster home will charge you just 200 dollars which covers his first shots and vet bills, and a voucher to spay or neuter him or her when they are old enough. And you can search for just small dogs on the site so you're kids will be satisfied because they picked the circumstances. Just a few weeks ago I used the service to get a new puppy. He is so cute nice and well behaved. I highly recommend the site, and best of all it doesn't cost a penny to use. Good luck getting a nice puppy and you'll have to post a picture of him!

Go to your local shelter or Humane Society. I grew up on a farm where my mom raised Poodles and then, as an adult, got into shih tzus. The thing I have noticed is that mutts are normally better dogs than pure breeds. Not always, but this is generally so. Also, look for rescue ranches. In my neck of the woods there is a place called Diamond Dachsund Ranch that rescues dachsunds and adopts them out. There are many places to get a puppy for little to no cost that will be a better dog than those you purchase from breeders. My mom went to a breeder once to buy a poodle and was shocked to be taken into a large metal barn where cage after cage after cage was stacked to the ceiling with one dog in each cage. Those poor dogs were in two foot square cages. She bought a dog just to try to save one, but took it home and realized the dog didn't even know how to walk on solid ground because it had been in a cage so long. Not all breeders are like this, I would like to stress. But, let's face it, why buy a puppy from a breeder when there are so many beautiful, loving dogs that would love to have a home? Dogs that get euthanized every day because nobody wants them. It's such a shame.

One place you absolutely do NOT want to buy from is a pet store. These poor dogs come from breeders and never know the love of a human until they are purchased by someone who doesn't realize the extent of the dog's traumatized life until it's too late. They are normally very sickly and have all kinds of disorders due to how they are bred. They are basically bred like cattle, as hard and fast as possible, and then are carted across the United States in unmarked utility vans, where in they, many times, are so shaken and scared from the experience they die before they make it to their destination. Many animal rights groups try to search out these vans to protest, which is why the vans are unmarked. I know this because my husband worked as a puppy hauler for a short period of time until he realized what the deal was and then quit.

You have a lot of rescue shelters. I´m sending the Petfinder link. You check your area amd you can see the picks also.

http://petland.com/

A wonderful new pet store. May family had the same issue. We chose Petland after several visits with it's staff and Management. They are a different kind of pet store. You can see the difference just by viewing their website. Their primary focus is the care and health of the animals they have. Our Petland store provided us with the breeder information the dog was purchased from, a family history, they started all the shots, they tracked the quantity of food eaten and digested daily, and they worked with a local Vet who came to the store twice a week to see each animal.
Our family had a very positive experience and are proud to have added a Golden to our household who is wonderful and healthy. Best of luck to your family.