Quote Originally Posted by Irulan View Post
Why not just make a large kennel/enclosure/yard and make sure they get lots of exercise.
+1 on having a large kennel near the house. We live on about an acre and a half, fully fenced with a cement foundation, so the dogs can't dig out. We also have a smaller area fenced in for a kennel--it's not that small, really, maybe the size of a small urban yard. It's a godsend to be able to put the dogs away when we have company, when we're eating outside, when there are kids around, when we're swimming, and so on. They don't actually spend much time in the kennel, but it sure is nice to have the option.

I also agree with Irulan that it will be very difficult to train the dogs not to leave the property. Seriously, if the lab is chasing a rabbit, it won't stop at the boundary. Mine certainly wouldn't, no matter how much time I spent training it.