Well I have had a lot of labs in my life and two chessies. The first chess was about 50 plus years ago and he was as some of you describe surly and hard headed but then 4 years ago I got another chess. He was a comedian and as compliant when training as any lab I have ever had. Plus he had a coat that would have been the envy of many of the thin coated labs you see nowadays. Unfortunately due to an accident and a medical problem he had to be put down about two months ago. Now I'll have to take my old lab out of retirement this fall and when I run across my next partner I'll let him go back to sleeping most of the time.