I've raise one lab from a pup, fostered another until she got a home to go back to, and hunted and been buddies with several others. A few others I've babysat for anything from a weekend up to a few weeks.
Labs and salukis are very special kinds of critters.
Come January, I may, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, get a dog. The neighbor with my buddy the mastiff recently moved, and I don't have a big dog buddy nearby.
/johnny