Yes, dogs are unpredicatable, all dogs, even Golden Retrievers!
I have a $700 vet bill that I am currently fighting a Golden Retriever's owner to help me pay to prove it. He stood and watched his dog take mine by the head and throw her to the ground. Watched her struggle to get up and run as his Golden grabbed her again and again. Shocked that his dog was capable of this, as was I, as was my dog.
This is more proof that the owner is an issue, that all dogs are capable of damage. Is it possible that this gleeming Golden, gentle, would never hurt anything or anyone not properly socialized? Is it possible that the two times we met up with this dog may have been the only times the dog had left his yard each week? Does his family not walk or socialize him? Do they only let him off at the park behind their house to chase a ball on weekends? Other than that is he only let out into his yard for exercise daily?
I don't know for sure but I do know that I frequent that park and often go there twice a day and for the past three years had never seen the dog before. I thought they were new to the area but have actually lived in a home just off the park for the past 12 years, with their dog living there the past three.
This is not a bad family, this is not a bad dog, but this still happend.
Perhaps, it is the way the dog was raised by a well meaning family who adore their dog but don't really have time for him.
No one worries about this type of home, this situation or this breed of dog. Not even me or I would not have let my dog meet him.
Guess I was wrong.
My poor dog paid the price with close to 100 stitches and a drainage tube in her face. She is now afraid of every dog we see and had previously been a very friendly, extremely well socialized dog. Imagine a dog who frequently plays with Rotties, whose long-term boyfriend was a Doberman, who's best friend when I worked at the SPCA was a Pittie named Costello, who was gracious enough to share her home with a 125 lb GSD for a month until he found his new one. A dog who is used to dogs coming and going as her mom (me) insists on fostering dogs over and over again, insists on play-dates with dogs she has helped re-home and the like being deathly afraid of a Golden Retriever! Imagine.
Now tell me again that breeds are to blame and you would never find a Golden who hurt anything.

I should also mention that I have to take breaks between paragraphs as I type this due to a problem I have with my arms. A problem I will have for the rest of my life caused by a dog who had no choice about how to live his.