Sad lab puppy

Question
My husband, myself and my two young sons, 5yrs and 18mos recently obtained a now 3 month old female yellow lab, we have had her for about 1 month.  She has been to the vet twice and has no health concerns that we are aware of.  My concern is that she just doesn't seem like a happy puppy- no tail wagging when we come home, minimal excitement to see the family or even interact that much, she is very stand-offish.  We have crate trained her and during the weekdays she will be in her crate for approximately 4 hours in the morning then get a period of potty and play time then back into the crate for another 4 hours. We then try to engage her with fetch or a walk or any other sort of interaction with the family either inside or outside throughout the evening.  On the weekends we have her out with the family the whole day and she does interact a bit but not as I would have expected.  I had grown up with labradors and remember them to be very social and agreeable dogs, this one almost seems despondent or depressed maybe.  I thought maybe it was just an adjustment period for her but its been 4-5 weeks now.  Any thoughts you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help.

Answer
Give her more time and plenty of attention.  Unfortunately early socilization is very important.  If a puppy doesn't have enough exposure to people before it is 12 weeks old, it may never relate to people as well.  I am not sure of all the reasons why breeders insist on keeping puppies until they no longer accept new things as well.  It is well documented, and many of the books I have read discuss it.  If you got the puppy from a breeder, I would let them know about the problem.  

Here are some things you can do to help her bond to you and accept you as the leader:

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.