I got a "pointing lab" who is at 4 1/2 months.  
Doing OK on come.  Interested in birds when he can chew on them.  But otherwise not very birdy.  I take him out to a dove field a few times a week and very little action out of him.

mediocre fetch drive.

biggest issue is aggression.  Growled and nipped my daughter (15) while eating.  Aggressive with other dogs.  I haven't seen this behavior in a lab before.  

also pees in his kennel.  And, yes, its small enough.  He will lay in it.  Maybe once a week.  This is with zero warning.  My wife is sleeping on the couch next to him and takes him out immediately if he makes noise.

Since he is so young (and cost a bloody fortune) I don't want to give up on him.

How old is old enough to put the collar on him?  I wanted to wait till at least 6 months.

Good bloodline.  I may have just gotten a dud.  I haven't talked to the breeder about the latest issues but I am about to see about a new pup.

Advice from the hive?

Dogs mature at different rates.Many dogs are food agressive. I assume youre talking about an electric collar. In my experience they should only be used to reinforce training the dog has already learned.Some dogs take to training readily others dont. I just keep at the training. You've only had him 4 months.when i think back on some of the labs i raised and trained over the years it strikes me that ive seen no bad dogs,the problem was always me. Ive had dogs that i thought were totally stupid at 9 months turn into a machine in a few months. Training dogs is a long term process. Ive never been especially patient.

Oh man, this is so correct.

I don't have much lab specific experience, but these are all things I would be concerned with in a dog from hunting lines.

I would expect a pup to be showing signs of being game driven at this point.

The problems with peeing in the kennel are the least of the things you are listed and the one I think most likely to correct.

The aggression towards your daughter is not something I would tolerate. My 11 month old can hang from my 1 year old drahthaar's beard and she won't do anymore than whine and she puts up with my wife's little white whatever the heck breed it is. This is the same dog that will hamstring a pig, kill a raccoon, track a duck for as long as it takes around a pond, and point quail with no pointing training at all. I am saying that not to brag, but to point out you don't have to put up with people and dog aggression to have a dog that is aggressive on game.

Maybe labs are slow developing, but I would talk with your breeder and see what the littermates to your pup are doing.

He's old enough to collar condition now, only on commands already taught. Sit and here for now, on the lowest setting to cause response. His age will always have accidents, so you could monitor his water, and cut access to it a few hours before kennel time. When I air them right before kennel, I always reward with a milk bone treat upon crating- and they learn to take care of business quick and get back. I'd also take control of the food, and get good diagnosis on the aggression. I'd put him on lead, place food down, and say ok- and let him have a few bites. Then say whoa, and pull his head up to wait until you give the OK command again..Repeat until you don't need the lead for him to stop. Anytime he takes charge, you need to remind him his place. He may fight you in later aspects of his training, take charge now, as it's much harder to break once the habit is ingrained.
And on the retrieving, always put him up wanting more, and keep it loose and fun for now.

What do you intend to enforce or correct with the ecollar?

come and kennel at this point.  Though he is coming around.  I wanted to start on woah, but he isn't there yet.