Another gun dog question

Most dogs a pretty adaptable, and would be fine in a kennel if raised that way. However, in my opinion, Labs make better gun dogs if kept in the house.  Also, the quality of a gun dog is determined more by genetics/training than where the dog sleeps. 
 
Your friend will have a better relationship with the dog if it's a house dog and therefore more hunting success!

The main thing that concerned me is that the dog was raised in a home environment and was being kept inside and "coddled" when they first got her.  At that time they hadn't even built the kennel.  She has a kennel now and spends some of her day in it, with their other dog for company.... I wonder if a close bond with the other dog will interfere with the bond with her "handler" and therefore the training process?
 
Part of the reasoning behind kennelling is to ensure she get the "right coat"... someone told them if she is kept inside all the time she will never get a winter coat which she will need when working.... This just doesn't sound right to me.  Surely Labs have a thick, water resistant double coat that they could work in all year round?  Is this right?  Or is what they have been told correct?

one of my walking companions breeds field labs and keeps them inside year-round. I've seen them happily swimming in sub-zero temperatures, after breaking the ice to get to the water.

"Part of the reasoning behind kennelling is to ensure she get the "right coat"... someone told them if she is kept inside all the time she will never get a winter coat which she will need when working.... This just doesn't sound right to me. "
 
That is ridiculous -- all of my Labs are house dogs and if they are genetically programmed to have a correct coat they will have one whether inside or outside.
Obviously the coat may be a bit thicker if kept outside but if the dog doesn't have the genes for a correct double coat it won't have one whether inside or outside.
Labs prefer to be with their family -- those who are kenneled or relegated to the garage or backyard without frequent human contact often become barkers, diggers, escape artists, destructive, etc.  These are the dogs we often see in rescue and often are black males aged 9 months to 2 years.  As a breeder I will not sell a puppy to someone who intends to kennel it 24/7.
Deb

Thanks for clearing that up for me.... I couldn't help but think it ridiculous too.  As I say, she does have an outdoor kennel (a very nice one too, I'd live in it if I were a dog) but she only spends a little time in it each day, more to get her used to it than anything else.  For the most part she is indoors with her family.  When I was a child we had a lab that was chained outside and isolated for much of the time.  He became very aggressive.... I am almost sure now that this wouldn't have happened if he had been a normal family house pet but that's just speculation.

Well I hope she keeps getting a lot of inside time with the family.  I can understand using a kennel for a couple of hours here or there -- I just have a fenced yard and today my dogs spent a couple of hours lounging on the deck but I don't leave them outside when I'm not at home -- I have a "dog room" with crates and some of them are loose (depends on age and mischief level as well as who is in season).
Deb
PS -- Looks like your baby is due to come out -- good luck!

I just got a Lab puppy and they kept him inside. We do both. When we're at home he's inside, but when we aren't, he's either in the laundry room or some times in a kennel(not alot since he can slip through the hole in the gate!) Like the rest of the posters said, it matters on the training, not where the dog sleeps.