Your opinions on good dog breeds please

Like anything else, there's alot of "It all depends".
I've known 3 Shepard/Lab mixes that were all terrific dogs. Smart, gentle and fun, but also protective when necessary.

I heard from a Vet the way to pick a puppy from a litter. Have the Alpha male and Omega ( runt ) taken away from the rest of the litter then watch them play with a toy. When you see one you might like have it taken aside with you and give it another toy. While it's playing and does not see what you're doing, drop something that makes a moderate amount of noise right behind it. If it merely turns around to see what the noise was it may be a good pick. If it jumps it's too nrevous. If it does nothing it may be deaf.

The difficult part about going to a shelter is not going home with them all.

Most shelters will have a meet & greet room after you pick one out to see how you interact. They will be watching YOU very closely.

Good Luck