I've stuck with old Tri-Tronics stuff. I've found it to be very reliable, and I've picked up spare parts from people who've moved on to more modern systems. I live in grouse and woodcock country, which is also wolf country. The experts claim that a beeper works to deter wolves. The TT beepers are loud, which I like because I don't hear as well as I used to. I don't want my dog beyond beeper range in the woods. The transmitters are very simple and easy to use.
With a Lab, since you're going to want the dog to stay within gun range, I'd think just a very simple system with stimulation from barely a tickle to hot enough to deter chasing deer and other critters would do the job. And you don't need much range either.
