Awesome idea on the Golden Retriever (see pic below of him doing what he does best). I somehow got a 3 yr old one from the Humane Society last July. He was trained and had all his shots. The really cool thing about this dog is, as others have said, he seems to realize I saved him and is extremely loyal. He is the best of both worlds as he is really playful, but also really chill too. He gets along really well with other dogs and even my cat. He's also been really easy to train/teach stuff too. If you do get one, train it with positive re-inforcement. My dog doesn't take to negative training well at all.
If you decide to go the route of a Golden Retriever (and not adopt), do your research. Given their popularity as a breed, there are a lot of great resources about what is needed for upkeep, what personality to find etc... Unfortunately, that also means there are a lot of breeders who may/may not do what's best for their dogs. Overall, I'm sure most are good, but I'd be careful because I'd hate to get a dog and watch them suffer because some *** didn't treat them right. Enjoy making this decision. It's really fun and you get are finding a great and loyal pet!
