[ShadowDancer]

ROTFL. Good luck to ya.

[My2Cents]

Hide your shoes. They'll end up all over the house.

[commish]

THIS SHOULD BE IN BREAKING NEWS!!!!!! Haven't you learned vanity "etiquette" yet???? LOL

Congrats. I have a Golden Retriever and she is the worlds most spoiled dog.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Labs like beer. Cheap beer is fine. Hamms, specifically.

[buccaneer81]

Nail down your carpet. Lock all kitchen cabinets. Remove all faucets.

No, I'm not kidding.

[Xenalyte]

Black Lab puppy ping!

[Spruce]

Congrats! Are you going to use him for hunting?

[Chi-townChief]

He should have you well trained in a month or two.

[acapesket]

Best of luck!
I am on my sixth Lab, all black before , this one is chocolate. As in my previous experiences, I adore them, they adore me. Love is everywhere!
I thought all of mine were smart too, at the start.
They are dumber than a box of rocks.
Highly adorable and wonderful with kids.

This one has been to boot camp twice, she's five. Still doesn't respond to " Come ".
God bless your heart and soul!
Enjoy!

[TASMANIANRED]

Congratulations and good luck.

Crate training is your friend.

Invest heavily in pig ears, it may save your furniture.

Walk early and often, tired puppy is a good puppy.

Be the boss.

[Andy'smom]

Pictures, please!

[gotribe]

Walk that dog four to five miles a day until he's three.

[Paperdoll]

Crate train him from the word go. Get one large enough for him to grow into. Never leave him loose in the house unattended, and your shoe supply or chair rungs will not suffer. Remember, this is a dog, not a human being. And many happy years to all of you.

[Cagey]

I should add one more thing. If you are a husband, buy your wife the most powerful vacuum known to man. If you are a wife, start knitting. You'll have plenty of Lab Wool. Tons in fact.

[armymarinemom]

• Labs are clowns until they day they die.
• Great family members who are a ton of fun and frustration.
• Buy a lot of nylon and rawhide chews. Lab's chew a lot but are smart enough to be trained about what is legal to chew. (we never trained our lab not to chew the eyes out of stuffed toys-stubborn LOL)
• He will out smart your kids for years. Labs always look for a chance for a child to leave a door open. Boom they are out.
• Ours leaned how to spell the word lake. If we discussed taking him swimming we had to think of new words to describe lake or he went bonkers.
• If you go with an invisible fence prepare to buy the difficult dog collar. Our lab would run through the fence and then bark for us to turn off the fence when he was ready to return home. The busting out of boundaries stopped when we bought a bigger voltage collar.

[GOP_Lady]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Labs are the BEST dog -- PERIOD! Much enjoyment and love to you!

[truthkeeper]

Any suggestions from experienced dog owners would be greatly appreciated.

Yes. No matter how adorable it may seem now, if he starts mouthing, biting, and licking toes and feet, nip it in the bud immediately. I'm dealing with this with my boyfriend and his now 7-month old dachshund. (If I have to hear, "He's only a puppy" one more time, I will scream.)

[Tallguy]

Just got through boarding a 18 month old female lab that could have pulled my Dodge Ram pickup truck up the local ski slope. If she'd been mine she'd have been wearing a prong collar.

I'm off to the chiropractor.

[Dysart]

Oh boy. You've gone and done it now...j/k. Just keep him exercised and do not leave him home alone with free run of the house. Seriously.

If you don't intend to breed him then neutering is probably best. Consult you DVM who can advise you on the benefits. I can tell you from experience that it doesn't make them sedate or lazy, so not to worry about that sort of thing.

[PzLdr]

I have a Chessie. Both breeds take a while to mature - like three years. Obedience train him as soon as you can [6 months or earlier, on 'sit', etc].

If you got a 'pet quality' dog [and you'll know by the price], neuter him. First, it's better for his long term health. Second, Labs are 'Lotharios' who will travel long distances to meet the right lady [read 'in heat']. Third, if he's not pick of the litter, and show dog quality, or doesn't have an impeccable hunting pedigree as long as your arm, you're not likely to get a decent stud fee. And if you're not into breeding, I doubt you want another pup as payment.

Good luck, and expect years of happiness and laughter. Dogs are empirical proof God loves us. They are joy on four legs.