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Goldens don't 'attack'. They bark, whine, and beg.

Are golden retrievers becoming more aggressive?

"...the golden retriever is now the Number 4 biter in Canada."

http://www.dogwhisper.com/12-09-2003_dogbite.pdf - Info on fatal attacks by dogs.

Apparently, golden retrievers aren't as 100% nonbite as thought.

We still have meter readers in our neighborhood(shortly to be replaced by smart meters) and they manage to go into side and back yards..and make their rounds without a gun or mace. They do carry a stick with a ball on the end.
All dogs are possibly mean, or scared, but dealing with them is as much a part of the job as dealing with people.

Goldens may occasionally bite when greatly provoked, but by instinct as bird retrievers they do not bite hard or repeatedly like other breeds.

Notice in the story no one saw what happened and that it was a single bite. I imagine a golden might bite if stuck in the eye or punched or their tail was stomped on, but thats about it I have had several and they would tolerate much abuse from small kids but would defend themselves (mostly by moving away or a quick movement to show their displeasure) when played with to the point of being hurt. Children need to be taught how to act around animals (and humans) and until they understand they should be supervised at all times. Children bite other children (and adults) and pull hair too until they learn better.

Thank you for your research on dangerous Golden Retrievers from Canada. I decided to do some more...

Top 10 most dangerous breeds in America (hint, Goldens aren’t on this list)

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

Most Dangerous dogs in the World (hint, Goldens aren’t here either)

http://www.dirjournal.com/info/most-dangerous-dogs-in-the-world/

Five most agressive dog breeds in America (hint, Goldens did not quite make this list)

http://www.examiner.com/dog-breeds-in-baltimore/top-5-most-aggressive-dog-breeds-america

Dog Bite Law center (funny, they don’t mention Goldens here)

http://www.dog-bite-law-center.com/pgs/stats.html

Most Vicious Dog Breeds (oops, no Goldens here)
http://www.resource4dogbitelaw.com/viciousdogs.html

EHOW: Top 10 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds (Nope, no Goldens)
http://www.ehow.com/list_6103275_top-10-dangerous-dog-breeds.html

Bite Statistics by Breed (Goldens are kinda low)

http://www.dog-obedience-training-online.com/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed.html