John,
I responded to the thread in Dog Breeds kind of the same way as Logan did here in her first post. Basically it was if you want a dog that acts like a Golden then get a Golden! I am a Golden owner who loves the breed deeply and would never own anything but a Golden but that does not answer your question.

I think Rachel's advice was very good and worth it's weight in Gold. Only you know what is best for your family and the size of dog you can handle. But if you have the space and are willing to train the dog, then I still recommend getting the real thing, Pure Gold!