The pedigree has alot to do with it. I have 2 labs. I have a chocolate and a yellow.. Both males. The chocolate is an excellent hunter. he has a great nose and doesnt quit. His grandfather was the first chocolate lab to with the national field trials and his father was classified master hunter. I never did any of that with him but it made him one hell of a hunting dog. My yellow is a house dog. He is a lab in name only. He doesnt get the retriever part one bit. He is as dumb as a brick but he is loveable and great around my 7 month old. as far as vet bills as someone stated before you never know what you get. My chocolate has allergy problems and it costs me 400 a year in allergy shots and it was 2 grand to get all that figured out. That started out of the blue when he was 6.5 years old and he is almost 8 now. I agree with the 30 a month figure for dogfood and the heartworm crap is like 80 a year. I dont agree that you need a shock or training collar. Read Gun Dog by richard Wolters and use his techniques. I agree females are easier to train.