Exactly. I’ve never met a mean golden retriever. Ever. I would assume that one that would really attack a person may have been raised in such a way as to go completely against its nature. I wouldn’t want to go near a golden retriever with the personality of a Chihuahua, though. :)
I have. Knowing the owner, I also know that it was not raised that way - she had numerous dogs without problem before and after this golden retriever. It was just an extremely territorial dog who was defensive and had dominance issues. I had never seen those issues in a golden before but I saw it with my own eyes. At least two vets of the many who examined the dog for physical reasons for its viciousness quietly recommended to the owner that the dog be put down as dangerous. All breeds can have some bad apples - some a few, like Golden Retrievers, and some a lot, like pit bulls.
Is this an argument against breed control? No. Society can deal with the odd vicious golden or similar dog breed. These are truly exceptions. Vicious pit bull behavior is not exceptional and can pose a serious threat to innocent victims.