Choosing a breed for me..

You've gotten some really good advice above, I just wanted to add that a pet quality Golden Retriever will NOT cost $2,000. More like about $800. Still way more than adopting a dog from a shelter, but significantly less than $2,000.

Also consider that although the adoption cost of a dog from the shelter isn't that much, you can end up paying a whoooole lot more in vet bills. A lot of dogs that end up in shelters are from backyard breeders and puppy mills that don't exactly care about breeding healthy dogs. I adopted my a dog from the shelter I was working at and spent well over $1,000 on health issues and he ended up dying at around 3 yrs. of age due to kidney failure.

Getting a dog from a reputable breeder, they will have done everything they can to breed healthy dogs and should have a health guarantee. I'm not saying don't adopt from a shelter, just keep in mind the pros and cons of each option. Good luck!!

Yes you definitely have gotten some excellent advice.
I am definitely an advocate for Rescues and or Shelters.
I have 2 rescued dogs and I can't even begin to tell you how happy we are with these dogs.
 I think the best thing to do is get a list of shelters that you are able  to visit, go and take your time looking, interact with the ones that you are interested in.
At the end of the day the 2 of you could sit down and decide together, and if 1 was decided upon maybe the next day you could go and revisit the particular dog or pup and make your decision.
 
Good Luck!!
 

You know, if you have the space, a great dane (mix?) might not be a bad option.  They are giant couch potatoes, and can be trusted off-leash, unlike the greyhounds.  They do shed somewhat, but the hair is short and not too dense.  Slobber is higher on the scale than, say, a lab, but not crazy.  Also, maybe a selling point for you, giant breeds have shorter life spans, usually 7 - 10 years, but also have some osteo related issues in unproven stock.  Space is the biggest issue, but if you're living in a house, shouldn't be a problem.

Might be worth a thought....

Oh, sheprano, buying a dog from a pet store is wrong. Period.  There is no single more effective way of shutting down puppy mills than stopping the flow of cash to the millers. Yes, puppies will die in the interim, but many thousands of others will live through shelter adoption or responsible breeding programs.

You are not saving any dogs by "rescuing" them from a pet store, and I don't need to be an activist to realize this.

I don't know how much you really want to spend, but i would like to recommend a rhodesian ridgeback. Of course i may be a little biased, but they are a great breed. I've owned several of them, and continue to be impressed. If you're not interested in showing or anything, you can usually find a pet quality ridgeback with a flawed ridge for about $500. the reason i love them so much is that they can be very athletic and go all day if you want them to, but in the house they just want to lay with their head in your lap. Also, they are one of the most loyal breeds i've ever owned. They have a VERY short coat, and are extremely intelligent. If you have any more questions about them, feel free to send me a PM. I also think a great dane would be a good choice. I know you said you would like a golden mix, but usually with a mix, it could have very few golden qualities...ya never know. Good Luck!!

Goldens are not as expensive as you think. I got my purebred one here in VA three years ago for $350
I'm not sure if this means something because of how much I paid for her. But she is a doll and very very smart.

My golden mix sheds bad.  Right now, I collected about a 1 square foot of soft down from daily brushing out his winter coat.  The top coat comes off on the carpet.  I never had a dog shed so much.  I think you might get sick of the weekly vacuuming.  BUT he does not ever drool  My friends golden gets a spring cut and has to go the groomers every month and hates it !
 
Have you checked PETFINDER.COM  ?
 
Please don't disregard a purebred at the shelter.  Most dogs are there because of  "allergies, moving, got tired of having a dog".  
 
My dog came from the shelter and I was told he was a collie mix.  He was so quiet and I thought that is what I want, a quiet dog.  Well, after 2 days he started running and running and running!   I started researching and discovered he was Gordon Setter /Golden/Collie.  LOL  Anyways, be aware that a dog may change once he is FREEEE  in a home.
 

Umm.. here is my opinion (I am college age and own 2 dogs right now. once i got from a local shelter, the other was found at wal-mart. we suspect he was left behind by the ppl that were selling pit bulls out in the parking lot.)
 
In my family we have a lab, a boxer, a beagle, a poodle, and a pit. All, with the exception of the pit, were found in rescues or shelters.
 -the lab, perfectly well behaved with people. Gets along with other animals. VERY protective of her family (My family and friends, this includes anyone we bring in). Never had to have any other vet work done other than annual stuff.
-the boxer. Same deal. great dog. never any extra vet bills besides the annuals stuff.
-the poodle. Was tortured by some young kids. Had a small dis liking for groups or children understandably. He got over it with a little love and learning to trust me. But never any health problems.
 
my point? There are plenty of perfectly healthy, happy, even purebred pups in shelters. Not all pups there have been adandoned or beaten. Some of them were surrendered by loving families that just couldn't keep them. You can talk to the people that work at the shelter, they usually know the dogs pretty well. 
 
If your looking for a breed that won't chew stuff, don't get a puppy. They will chew everything. They teethe...its horrible. I just got a 8wk old pup.
 
I would maybe suggest a boxer to you. Just b/c in my expirence they are great dogs.
 
Good luck!

Check out Golden Rescue.com in your area.  I believe the link for my area is Adopt A Golden. com.
I have a Golden and I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful he is.  Atlanta Golden rescue has some wonderful orphans that need loving homes.

...and yes, they are huge shedders, you have to be devoted and ready so that it is not a huge inconvenience.

I don't know why, but we really had no trouble with Gumbo chewing when he was a puppy.  I had a lot of chew toys for him plus I was at home with him everyday. 

Should we just burn them all becuase of the ignorance of people who run puppy mills?

 
That's exactly what the puppy millers want - for us to feel so badly for the dogs that we buy them anyway.  But, if we do, we are supporting that system.  Better we shouldn't ignore the dogs by asking our legislators to do something about the puppy mills.  Personally, I think that we should put pressure on the AKC to come up with something, too, since they are oh-so-happy to register the millers' dogs. [:'(]

I second the retired racing greyhound.  You'll know exactly the dog's history, they are already trained and very well-mannered.  They are fantastic, lovely dogs that will get up and go with you if you are up to a nature walk (always on leash, but heck, where can you go with a dog off leash in the city anyway?), love you for it, and snooze the whole time you are in class.  If you can go to a safe place and let your dog off - sit back and enjoy the show!  Many will learn to fetch and all of them are clever enough to learn whatever you want to teach (well, other than a rock-solid recall if they are chasing a sqquirrel). 

And you would feel great knowing you've give a home to a noble creature that's still got a lot of love to offer.

Check out this neat guy:http://www.trianglegreyhound.org/fosters/fosters.php#Smokey  He fetches already!  Every time I stumble across a greyhound adoption fair I can't help running my hands all over these guys - they are so silky and shiny!  Imagine having one draped over your couch all the time.

This is a listing for most of the adoption agencies throughout the country.http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/directory/list.cfm