I have a friend who raise Akitas and adores them.. I have two mals and a husky. The husy is HIGH maintenance and a runner who needed a fenced yard so run in circles. He is a lover - but very busy and a bit ADHD (He is Alaskan Husky - not Siberian). We also have 2 malamutes. They are great but have the potential to knock over little ones. They are both Teddy Bears until food is involved. We are working on that - but we always air on the side of caustion. They are great with my 9 year old - but we are extremely careful - due to their size - with my smaller 3 year old neice. The are easy going and eager to please but can be a bit hairy. They try to be lap dogs - but.... 125 and 105 pups jumping on you can be a bit dangerous. We try to avoid that. Anyway - I think you may be right about the golden - they seem extremely easy going - my sister had one for like 14 years and he did well with everyone and anything!
Good Luck!
