I'm sorry, I have to beg to differ.
As the owner of three golden retrievers, they are not hard to handle. Goldens are people pleasers, who will do what they are asked. Most of them are very well behaved on lead.
Oh, every Golden Retriever I've ever met has been a GEM, as far as personality goes! Very sweet dogs.
Have you ever seen a picture of McKenzie? It's quite clear that he is not a full-blooded Golden Retriever. I'm sure, however, that he too was a very sweet, nice dog.
I have a smaller dog, who is 8 years old. When he is taken out in the morning, he is so exuberant at being out for a walk that he bounds right out the door. I used to think, If I were OLD OLD, or otherwise unable to run, I could NOT walk this dog, even though the dog loves me and wants to please me! Laci was 5'1". I could see how she might slip and fall when leading around a dog which was almost as big as she was.