See if you can take the Lab at the pound into the "run" (fenced area) if they have one. Don't need to take a wing. Actually, under the circumstances I wouldn't. If he hasn't been introduced to hunting, he may try to eat it.
After we lost the kids' first dog (Lab age 14), I went shopping immediately for another. A couple in Minnesota had bred their aging female for a replacement so I knew the pups should be good. They drove to Duluth to meet us with remaining three female black Lab pups (mother was chocolate, father was yellow, and all pups were black [from his line]). We met at the city zoo where there was lots of lawn area to watch their actions. One pup was quite large and noisy so not interested in it. My wife and son were fawning over one while my daughter and I were checking out the other. Both seemed affectionate and quiet. I took off my ball cap and rattled it in the pup's face. She wanted to play so I tossed it a little ways. She scampered over, tackled it ... and brought it back! I tossed it again. Same thing. And again. "Honey, get over here and meet our new hunting dog!"
Keep in mind that pound pup will be very lonesome and likely overly distracted just having someone paying attention to it for a change. Well, that's how it SHOULD react. Try the usual "sit" command. If it doesn't know that, it's probably been totally ignored. Maybe not a good thing ... or maybe a good thing, depending on the dog and previous owner. Attention span and affectionate disposition are the things you need to look for. If the dog pays attention to you and loves you, it can be taught to walk through fire. Gunshy would be something nice to check for but I don't see how that would be possible at a pound. With a lot of time and effort that can often be overcome. Happens sometimes with even the best bred pups.
All my dogs except the Fr Britt were welped in someone's family garage or back porch. They were all great with no genetic faults (except epilepsy in the last chocolate and she lived fine with it and no meds to age fourteen ... not something that breeders usually screen for anyway). Personally, I think the fancy kennel scene is overrated, especially if picking a Lab pup.
If you do decide on the pound dog, I would advise getting it micro chipped. It might be a runner. Maybe that's why it's there. I think it cost me $35 to get Ellie chipped. Good investment, especially for an expensive dog. Ellie only set me back $400 (a good price for a papered Lab pup) but she can jump the fence and is EXTREMELY outgoing. I worry about her getting stolen.
