Oh I know how confusing this can be... I was there for the past 2 years.
I had 2 breeds in mind to start my showing venture with, Akitas and Tibetan mastiffs. When I had started my searching TM's were not yet recognized by the CKC only the AKC, so I decided Akitas obviously.
I had went to shows, talked to breeders and honestly did my best to sound as genuine as possible. Only to be snubbed off by EVERY one of them :S
This sadly really turned me off of the Akita breed, I wanted a pup from someone I could talk to and if I couldn't talk at a dog show (after they had been in the ring of course) and get some info from them that way, face to face... NO BS. Then how was I going to?
Alot of breeders I found personally in many breeds have the "holier than thou" attitude unfortunately. But keep it up! Eventually you will find a reputable decent breeder.
All of the Akita breeders I talked at shows, I went home and googled them. Everyone has to start somewhere right? After checking out their dogs and lines I then googled the kennel names on their foundation dogs. This is how I found the breeder I will be getting an Akita from one day, she is amazing, easy to talk to, and actually listens to YOUR situation.
Before finding her though, and while i was still in the "discouraged" stage, I had started searching harder for my TM. I found her easily and did I ever score on an amazing breeder too. I have never seen someone so dedicated to her dogs, and when we did the phone interview and I asked her a question that I was used to hearing a moment or 2 of silence n the other end for... she had the answer and a brilliant answer at that.
I was supposed to be under a co-own with Karma, but the breeder and I have hit it off so well and keep in contact like friends would, she signed over full ownership to me. I know if and when breeding Karma comes up, I would go to her breeder for guidance in a heart beat. She has been working hard with me to understand complimenting lines with stud choices and so on for a few months now (although Karma is still just a pup, its best to learn as much as you can right)
She and I both have visions of what I am going for in my TM lines and although my sights and hers are different in some ways, she respects and appreciates what I am going for.
Again, I completely understand what you are going for, and with Co-ownership, it is a great way for a newbie to showing to prove to a breeder that you are in it 110%. However, I also have had a really bad experience recently with another dog I co owned with a friend and the dogs breeder (3 way co-own) I did it to help my friend financially get her dreams off the ground with what we were sure was a very promising little bitch, however this breeder literally blew smoke up our... well you get the picture, we are now out upwards of $3000 combined and returned the dog. Be sure you have ALL paperwork and contracts signed BEFORE paying for a pup. It turned out that our little bitch was SO promising that the breeder insisted she handled ONLY, she chose shows, she had final say for EVERYTHING. And we were to pay her for conditioning and handling, we payed a fortune for this pup and were on the co-own, with a 2 puppies back and say of stud was the breeders.
We would have only bred her twice as I firmly believe more than that is just not right by me, so basically we payed the breeder for her to have her show dog on her standards. The story is a little more involved than this, but I dont want to be typing for ever lol
Dont be intimidated by breeders, try to find out who gave them their start, search lines, study lines, check OFA site for results of lines you like, as well as CERF site, be ready with questions of your own when you find a breeder and try to have the answers YOU want (for reputation purposes)already written out, if they say something you are not comfortable with but everything else checks out, dont be afraid to ask.
Don't forget, they are interviewing you and you should be doing the same to them.
Hope some of this helps.