I'm a vet tech and, after speaking with many other vet techs, we've all noticed traits for many breeds. With labs we've collectively noticed that black labs have ear problems (from fungus, infection, mites, allergies, and hematomas), yellow have skin issues, and chocolates tend be "nippy".
ALL labs are more likely than other breeds to eat a non-food item (I saw one that ate an entire apple pie, including the broken glass baking dish he'd knocked off the counter, another that just LOVED to eat lava landscaping rocks, etc etc). The emergency clinic I briefly worked for had a code they'd put on calls: "LAS" Lab Ate Something, which usually signalled x-rays, ultra-sound, and to get one of the ORs prepped for surgery if it actually caused problems (you'd be very surprised at what a lab digestive tract can pass).
I have a black lab now. She is dumber than a bag of hammers sometimes. But very sweet. She will eat anything that's in a ziplock bag or tupperware container, because anything in ziplock or tupperware is automatically food, duh. Last week, she ate a bunch of twist-ties (in a ziplock). A couple months ago she ate a small tupperware container full of nuts (the hardware, not the food). These are in addition to all of the other random acts of consumption that she's committed. She is a rescue (was about 5 when I got her a year ago). Lila will talk when she has to go out. She will sit on her bed and mumble to herself incessantly until someone lets her out if it's number 1. If she has to go number 2, she sits in front of you and talks (not growling or barking).
Take a look through the pet ads in papers and at shelters in your area. There will be a LOT of 1-2 year-old labs. Labs seem to have an extended puppy-hood that seems endless. Look into area rescues and shelters, there may be a fantastic (already housebroken - BONUS!!) lab just waiting for you.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/DropkickPA/lila2.jpg)