The dogs should obviously be a part of the family, and should be very responsive to humans. Be suspicious of anyone that seems to have a lot of problems with his dogs, his kennels, the dogs' health, the puppies' health, etc. and a lot of excuses for those problems. You will only be encouraging an unscrupulous breeder. To decide which breeder to choose, make sure you feel very comfortable with the breeder, her premises, and the information she gives you. They will have tested for prevalent genetic problems in their breed, and they will ask you a lot of questions to make sure they are comfortable with you as the owner of one of their pups.
Many breeders send their bitches to a stud dog to be bred.
If the sire is not on the premises, ask about his looks and personality. See if the breeder has a picture, and ask why she chose him as the sire. Make sure his disposition matches what you want in a dog, and that he matches the ideal breed standard. If you like the looks and disposition of the parents, however, that improves your chances for getting a pup that you will like. They can be found at pounds or shelters, or at family homes.