Quoted: SPECTRE; Contact a local or state LE agency Canine Trainer and get that dog evaluated right NOW! If he is truely hyper and crazy for the ball, rag, stick, etc. and will hunt, hunt, hunt for it if you throw it in the bushes, (I mean 5-15 minutes and still hunting) is well socialized and not situation shy, somebody will take him and give him what he desperately needs...a job! Drug dog, bomb dog, etc. there is always a need for good ones...and Labs can make some of the very best! (BTW you can possibly write his value off as a tax deduction if an agency takes him and will sign a receipt for you)

Thats an excellent idea !
I'll check it out and see whats available.
However, two of the trainers we worked with over the last two years worked with LE dogs and they were amazed with his behavior.
But its worth a try.

I would like to add a comment for any would be new dog owner especially if you are getting a pup.

Do not allow or encourage any behavior in your little cute fluffy 10-week-old pup that you do not want in a 2 year old 80 lb. dog.

It is far easier to train a dog than it is to break bad habits that the dog learned from you.

/Veterinarian mode ON/
May I provide a counterpoint to Muddydog's opinion of veterinarians re: OFA radiographs?

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is an organization that views X-rays of the pelvis of breeding-age animals (2 yrs. and older) to evaluate the soundness of hip/femoral head conformation. They also do other examinations as well, such as elbow dysplasia determinations.

The OFA has a rigid set of guidelines that must be follwed to get a radiograph that they will even CONSIDER for analysis. One of these guidelines is a strict set of rules as to the postioning of the animal while the film is shot. They want to grade animals on an even playing field, and they are sticklers. If the shot is out of kilter (for instance, the animal is rotated to the left or there is a bent joint that they don't like the looks of), you get a note from them saying that the shot is unreadable for evaluation purposes, they wont give you any opinion at all, and you must shoot again. End of story.

Claiming that veterinarians are causing animals to score poorly on OFA exams because they can't get the right position "to save their life" doesn't hold water. OFA's stringent rules for radiograph procedure eliminate this. They only read the ones shot to their specs. I as a vet don't have the ability to alter the conformation of the hip. I had no part in the creation of the canine genome.

Muddy is correct about environmental issues affecting hips as well. My experience is that obesity, and therefore accelerated wear on joints due to constantly increased loadbearing, does affect things to a great degree. I think that dogs that would otherwise score well on these exams are being done a disservice because of husbandry issues.

/Veterinarian mode OFF/
-Hobbit

Quoted: Yellow lab = best dog in the world.  Here's mine: users.rcn.com/philistine/TULLY.JPG

Finger on the trigger.  Teach that dog some control!

BoB

Here is the family dog:
Fotopic won't let me upload so here is a link:
Small Size:
michaelg.fotopic.net/p7835348.html
Full Size:
images3.fotopic.net/?iid=yfmwrj&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

She is wild. She will only do simple things, but she will grow out of it soon. She is great around children.

I was a letter carrier for the USPS and out of 5 that I came across only one had a mean streak.  Most mild tempered and obedient dog I came upon while at work.

I'm curious..."amazed at his behavior" ...why? How? What is so amazing about a big, driven work dog that needs a job? Of course, you should be aware that such evaluations are very serious affairs and that many people who believe that their "Fluffy" is the next Rin Tin Tin or such get their feelings hurt when the big lug is taken to a strange place with a few distractions, etc. and someone new to him throws that ball, and they see him sit there as if to say "OK dude...you threw it, now you get it back!"

If he passes first muster...most don't...they will likely take him home for a while and work with him a bit more, then they will have to spend somewhere around $500 or so for xrays, shots and a full CBC just to know exactly what they have to work with health-wise. Many more will fail here as well. The training put into a good sniffer dog over the years will run into the thousands of dollars if you consider all the man hours involved. That is why they want 'em young and healthy...longer service life.

Most trainers will prefer that an active-alert dog have very little obedience...almost none at all, and other  detector-only dogs only a little more, so no problem-o if his OB is poor or nonexistant. What they really...really...wanna see is a dog so crazy for the ball or toy that if the world was ending around him and you threw that ball, he would be unable to resist going after it one last time! (and no, I an not kidding about that!)

I just placed a young male Lab (9 mo.) that would nip you if you teased him with the ball and did not throw it quickly enough to suit him. He would hunt for 10 minutes easy in briars, high grass, etc, for a ball...and he is still a very young pup. Excellent prospect, and he was given away by some folks in similar circumstances to you. He will be a LEO before too much longer I think! (No, I did not make one cent from the transaction although I know several brokers who would happily have paid me $500-750 for him if I had wanted to take the time and trouble)

Good Luck to you and your boy!

I've had 2 black labs... mainly an aesthetic thing, I think they LOOK alot better than yellows or chocolates.

#1) Was pretty smart, obedient, good with most strangers (but hated young (<6 y.o.) girls for some reason), always came home after roaming around. Pretty laid back, but got pissed off when people woke him up. Died of Lyme disease, age 6, about a year ago.

#2) Is still a puppy, good most of the time, but occasionally a jackass. Better with strangers, but less obedient and reliable. Wakes up about 1-1.5 hours earlier, and we haven't figured out how to make him "sleep in" till 645 or so. Sort of an attention whore.

Quoted: I've had 2 black labs... mainly an aesthetic thing, I think they LOOK alot better than yellows or chocolates. #1) Was pretty smart, obedient, good with most strangers (but hated young (<6 y.o.) girls for some reason), always came home after roaming around. Pretty laid back, but got pissed off when people woke him up. Died of Lyme disease, age 6, about a year ago. #2) Is still a puppy, good most of the time, but occasionally a jackass. Better with strangers, but less obedient and reliable. Wakes up about 1-1.5 hours earlier, and we haven't figured out how to make him "sleep in" till 645 or so. Sort of an attention whore.

That sentence brings all kinds of bad things to mind.

Quoted: I'm curious..."amazed at his behavior" ...why? How? What is so amazing about a big, driven work dog that needs a job? Of course, you should be aware that such evaluations are very serious affairs and that many people who believe that their "Fluffy" is the next Rin Tin Tin or such get their feelings hurt when the big lug is taken to a strange place with a few distractions, etc. and someone new to him throws that ball, and they see him sit there as if to say "OK dude...you threw it, now you get it back!" If he passes first muster...most don't...they will likely take him home for a while and work with him a bit more, then they will have to spend somewhere around $500 or so for xrays, shots and a full CBC just to know exactly what they have to work with health-wise. Many more will fail here as well. The training put into a good sniffer dog over the years will run into the thousands of dollars if you consider all the man hours involved. That is why they want 'em young and healthy...longer service life. Most trainers will prefer that an active-alert dog have very little obedience...almost none at all, and other  detector-only dogs only a little more, so no problem-o if his OB is poor or nonexistant. What they really...really...wanna see is a dog so crazy for the ball or toy that if the world was ending around him and you threw that ball, he would be unable to resist going after it one last time! (and no, I an not kidding about that!) I just placed a young male Lab (9 mo.) that would nip you if you teased him with the ball and did not throw it quickly enough to suit him. He would hunt for 10 minutes easy in briars, high grass, etc, for a ball...and he is still a very young pup. Excellent prospect, and he was given away by some folks in similar circumstances to you. He will be a LEO before too much longer I think! (No, I did not make one cent from the transaction although I know several brokers who would happily have paid me $500-750 for him if I had wanted to take the time and trouble) Good Luck to you and your boy!

They were "amazed" that no matter how much he was run, played, walked, trained etc...  he would not settle down, ever.  He learned the "down" command and would lie down only for a second and then jump right back up.  It's like his gas pedal is stuck to the floor.
He pants hard like he just ran a mile but he hasn't and he's just sitting there doing nothing.  He focuses on a ball or training dummy very well but sometimes ignores it and just runs in circles.
As I said, we have had labs all our lives. Our families have labs and this is the first dog to act this way.
I know very well that they are very active and need "work" to do but this is a bit over the top.

This is Leeloo when we brought her home.

http://img68.exs.cx/img68/6712/leelooongrass.jpg

This is her now.

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/7710/doggyleeloo.jpg
http://img53.exs.cx/img53/6229/dogmirror.jpg
http://img68.exs.cx/img68/6710/leelootub.jpg

We visited with our 3 1/2 week old puppy Casey today.

I've had four labs, two of them currently. Two blacks (males), two chocs (one male, one female). Both the blacks were/are great dogs. They are smart and well mannered. The first choc was a small statured male named Cocoa. He was a GREAT dog. Infact, he was my favorite of all the dogs, regardless of breed I've ever been around. The current choc is a female that, while sweet tempered, is as stupid as a stick horse. All of them have had distinct personalities but all of the have been gentle and tolerant of the kids. The first black could be aggressive to people he didn't happen to care for and one of the neighborhood kids had teased him to the point that he had no use for the little brat at all. The others are pussycats regardless of how they sound. The two chocs do seem to lack the physical stamina of the blacks. The current choc female is a complete pansie.

One day, I'd love to get a yellow lab. I'd encourage you to get a lab but you need to realize that they are very social dogs and need much interaction. The best thing I ever did was get two so they have a pal when we're away. You should see these two chase each other and spar! They get pretty rough and always have fun.

my comments on OFA films and reads by vets stands on over 20 years of breeding, training and running working stock of several breeds (both large and small).

my experience as a trainer of K-9's (gsd, rotts, belgians) as well as retrievers has served me quite well and my clients as well.

i wont debate your technical abilities for dog positioning for an OFA film..i have no idea on your abilities.
i will tell you in dealing with hundreds of films taken by vets in OK, AR, TX, KS and MO that over 50% were shoddy films that after being sent to another vet that had the experience and skills to take another set of radiographs that the difference was night and day..

if you tell the masses that a vet that turns in a less than ideal film for OFA approval- denial for HD has no bearing on the outcome of the reading... then let me be the first to cry bullshit...because a good film makes all the difference in the world on a excellent, good, fair or denial.

i deal with vets everyday...alot are very good at what they do...i would let them treat just about any dog for any ailment..or disease..

i would let very few take HD Xrays....due to lack of experience or lack of total skills and the gravity of the situation.

alot of people deal with dogs that are couch potatoes...and the OFA isnt a major deal..
i deal with dogs that are worth hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars and a OFA issue can be a major financial loss, too major to let it fall in the hands of someone who isnt knowledgable in that field.

i might add that not only am a pro retriever trainer..
but am also a Registered Medical Technologist that works at a major trauma center as well as a Reference Veterinery Lab.

the medical field of both humans and animals is my real time gig.....training is secondary...

I was raised around champion hunting labs and my parents now retired, are breeding them from their current champs.  Couldnt ask for a better breed of dog.  We had black labs, all extremely intelligent, well mannered, great around all family members, protective as well, and natural instinctive hunters without training (but have had their share).. All field champs, hell they would even stop when phesant hunting and point, then poke their heads in and grab the mofo.  

I miss their companionship, dedication, and undevoted love to their master.. and soon will be getting a pup of my own for my family and son to grow up with.