Labs are great dogs. We have Labradoodle now that's also great. Very similar temperament compared to the Labs I've been around, but a little calmer and doesn't shed nearly as much. Also an awesome dog with the kids and their friends. She's got a good bark to wake us up but I think that's the extent of how useful she would be in terms of protection, but at least she would alert us. I'd rather have a great family dog with kids around, both in our household and the neighborhood, than risk having a more aggressive dog breed around. Just my two cents.