I totally disagree with you georgie. I mean you had one when you where what age? Young you said.
So far he is very LOYAL to me and my family, and I can tell you I own him, not the other way around, and for a puppy of 4 months to know how to sit,come when called, plays fetch and is completly house trained doesn't seem to me that they are hard to train at all! In fact he's alot smarter then most labs I have met and owned! Hmmm..... seems like you didn't have the same breed.
I can see not letting him off the leash, thats forsure!
I posted this for insight on the breed not for someone to come along and bash them.