Rachel, I have to agree with what lots of people have said - firstly I would avoid a puppy from Wales because of the association with puppy farms (however unfair it is, the first thing I'd think if I saw a puppy for sale from Wales is puppy farm). I'd probably also avoid a breeder who hadn't bred before.
I look at the rescue dogs section on here and see that so many puppies & dogs are let go - for whatever reason. My breeder (who has bred for many years) massively vets any prospective puppy buyers to ensure that she is happy that the dog is going to the right home, and she also makes her buyers sign a contract that if it doesn't work out that they will return the dog to her (for her to either rehome or keep if she cannot find a suitable second home). That is a massive commitment from a breeder, but it is in place to ensure that the dog is not homed in a place that doesn't feel right to her. Having that contract in place made me far happier about buying a puppy from her too. She had reservations about me because I lived in a first-floor flat, but I reassured her that I would give the pup a good home as I wasn't working, had had cockers before, and lived near lots of green space, etc. My dog also came with an endorsement that I couldn't breed from him (because the breeder wouldn't want someone breeding her stock without doing it properly) - most breeders also do this.
I contacted breeders through the KC website who turned out to have working cockers but who still tried to persuade me that their pups were great, even though I'd clearly stated that I was looking for a show-type (they have very different energy levels/training/exercise needs, etc..) - I'm sure their intentions weren't bad, but they were ill-considered, I think - trying to sell their pups to people who wanted a different kind of dog. They needed to sell their pups! Lots of time, emotion and money invested! I also went to visit one litter which was 1/4 working and 3/4 show and she didn't even mention the working bit despite my talking to her on the phone about my specific desire for a show pup. She stated that they were show pups - I think she just wanted to make money; she certainly wasn't being honest with me. I'm sure lots of people end up buying the wrong pup because they don't even know the difference (or don't care) - I just happened to recognise it immediately by the appearance of the dam and then confirm it by the FTCH in the pedigree on one side. She wouldn't have cared about placing that pup with me - someone who didn't have the lifestyle (or desire) to deal with a part-working pup. She just wanted her to sell her pups and get her £££. I would imagine there are stud owners who also would try to persuade a breeder that their dog would be a great stud for exactly the same reason (£££), regardless of whether it was a good match. I wanted a docile show-type, but everyone wanted to sell me workers!
There are so many things to consider, and it's great that you're coming on here to ask for advice, as everyone does have to start somewhere, but we all care so much about the breed and don't want to see any more unwanted pups, for whatever reason, or pups with any personality/health issues, or pups sold to inappropriate homes, so there is always some discouragement to inexperienced owners breeding their pets. As others have said, there's so much more to it than health testing, which you obviously understand. If you do go down this route, please make sure that you find an experienced mentor who can help you with all of these factors.
