I second the idea of waiting until warmer weather to get the puppy, if you can, as it is much, much easier to housebreak during the warmer weather both for you and the puppy. Cold wet weather can make some puppies reluctant to go outside when they should, so they don't go outside when you take them but find little corners inside instead.
After raising 7 puppy projects for Guide Dogs for the Blind (given as an 8 week old puppy and returned as a fully trained and socialized young adult ready to enter blind training around 12 to 14 months of age), 5 Labs, 1 German Shepherd (several more short term projects), and 1 Golden Retriever, I have a few thoughts for training a Lab puppy.
(I've also done Dog 4H/Agility and have had a Sheltie/Collie, Miniature Schnauzer and Aussie. Currently I have trained a rescue Rat Terrier. Also, my daughter became a Vet Tech and brought dogs home from the program for house training, so I have some ideas about general breed personalities.)
Not all puppy advice is equal for all breeds. You will need to understand the breed and the personality of the puppy you are getting.
While every dog is an individual, pure breeds do follow certain behavior patterns. Hybrids/mixes/mutts are more difficult to assess as it depends on the dominant traits received by the dog. Some get all the good qualities of one parent breed and all the bad qualities of the other. Or a mix in between. Or follow one breed more closely. Poorly bred animals can be hyper, anxious, and fearful. (Genetics do matter).
You say you want a friendly dog above all. Labs are one of the friendliest dogs around, if from a responsible breeder. They are also energetic and can be pretty goofy. They roll with the punches but need a steady hand to help keep them focused and out of trouble or they can be a handful.
Your first choice mentioned, though, was a Lab/Chow cross? That gives me a bit of pause for a first time dog owner. It will depend on which side of that equation the puppy receives. As stated, the Lab side is people loving, easy going, energetic, and stranger friendly. However, the Chow side, generally speaking (as there are always exceptions) is much, much more difficult to train and not recommended for a first time dog owner. Many Chows are loners, deeply wary of strangers, and can be aggressive to strangers. As this is a first time puppy for you, I would think more about this particular cross unless you have seen prior litters and know the temperament is like the Lab and not a Chow. (Hybrids aren't always the "middle road" between the two...genetics can be funny).
If you have a Lab, then yes, after initial transition home, and all puppy first puppy shots have been given, I would begin to socialize your puppy by taking him places. Labs love to socialize. Think short, controlled outings, not day long trips with him/her bouncing along without a thought. Each step of the way should be a learning experience for your puppy, and you have to make sure it is always a positive experience.
If you go with the Aussie, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, or something like a Sheltie/Collie, those can be more stranger wary and definitely more environmentally sensitive. Taking them too many places too quickly can sour them. You need to help them become comfortable with new situations by slowly and carefully introducing them, always in a positive way, so they feel safe. (Lots of food treats help).
Prevention is the number one best teacher. Do not let your puppy get into situations or behaviors that are bad. As one poster stated, it is much, much harder to retrain than to train correctly the first time. It is very difficult to train if you have soured them.
I recommend the crate training as well. As the little one adjusts to your home, he or she will need to earn their privileges. They need to have a space where they can decompress when you are not actively watching them or if they have had a lot of stimulation. The crate should be just big enough for them to stand, turn around, and lay down. Do not put food/water bowls in it, or you will have them eliminating in the crate. It is used mostly at night time for sleeping, and in the daytime if you are away and can't take the puppy. NEVER leave a puppy in a crate (other than night time) for more than 4 hours. The crate is used only for a safe place, like a crib or playpen, when you cannot be actively watching them.
When your puppy is out of the crate, which is most of the day otherwise why have a dog, it should be on a dragline so that you can gently guide it away from trouble. You will need to do a puppy check in your home to be sure to remove anything that is dangerous for your puppy to get into. You should also be keeping an eye on it so that it can't get into stuff, otherwise you will be constantly going from one crisis to the next which is negative behavior reaction rather than training. (If your puppy pees on the floor while you weren't watching, take a newspaper, roll it up, then hit yourself over the head saying "I will watch my puppy better, I will watch my puppy better.)
Keep the puppy in a safe area (usually a kitchen or den) until it has proven itself able to not pee or poo on the floor. If you give it the run of the house too soon, it will find little corners to potty in which will make it very difficult to housebreak as it will have scent marked the house.
Take the puppy out every 1 1/2 to 2 hours to the area you wish it to potty in. I highly recommend training it to potty on command by doing this: On leash lead the puppy to the area (do not carry it unless emergency run, it needs to walk there on its feet). Wait until the inevitable (which is why warm weather works much better). As soon as the puppy begins to pee, say "Good dog, do your business, good dog." When puppy finishes, give it a small bite of cheese (Mozarella string works really well as you can keep the packet in your pocket and pull off small bits at a time). Repeat this EVERY time you take the puppy out. You are being proactive to get it to connect relieving outside and to its area. You are also conditioning the dog to potty on command by saying "Do your business....or you can say "Go potty." This is really, really, helpful and will prevent you from having to walk around and stand around forever as a dog finally figures out it should relieve.
I recommend beginning gentle leash training almost immediately upon receiving the puppy. Always be gentle with your puppy. Never yank or bodily drag it around, but also do not let it bound off wherever it wants. If a Lab, or other large dog, absolutely do not let it lunge and pull on the leash or you will be exhausted by the time it is an adult with walks being a nightmare.
Play little games while walking together....go slow, go fast, let the puppy learn to keep up with you and always, always, be in the heel position on the left. Be gentle but firm and consistent. Never allow puppy to bite the leash, though it will be tempting, especially for the herding types. Keep a relaxed leash but you are the leader not the puppy. If the puppy gets ahead, slow down. If the puppy is dragging behind, kiss smack your lips and encourage it to come forward. Cheese held at puppy level can encourage a slow poke. Once in heel position, feed the cheese. When you stop, teach the puppy to sit. (Lift the leash to raise the head as you gently push on the hind quarters....soon puppy will do that by itself). If the puppy wants to wander off in a different direction, reverse directions and encourage a heel position with cheese reward. You literally work the heel/lead position until puppy follows you at the heel position no matter where you go, no matter how fast you go.
Keep sessions short. Always end on a positive note.
That's enough for right now as that will take you several months to perfect. After that, real training begins, and if you are interested, I can have more suggestions.
Good luck with your puppy. I personally would recommend a full Lab or something soft like a Sheltie...those are so sweet and smart, and make excellent first time dogs.
LofMc
Close second to them are german shepherds. Even the puppies are hardwired to do EXACTLY what you want. Only issue I have with them is the health problems they tend to have because they're so intensively bred. :/
