The joy and happiness is purely at the expense of unethical practices tho, that is my issue. These are living empathetic creatures, not designer fashion pieces

The joy and happiness is purely at the expense of unethical practices tho, that is my issue. These are living empathetic creatures, not designer fashion pieces (which is often what pure breeds are selected to emulate). There's no reason why you couldn't bread a healthy retriever dog, yes it may not look exactly like the current iteration of a golden retriever but it will live a life that is less likely to be purposely afflicted with pain or suffering. I've only owned mixed dogs and they've all lived extremely health lives with zero joint, spine, breathing, or jaw issues.