Yates Family Labradors

06/11/2026

Want a free YFL T-shirt!?!?

Many of you have all welcomed a Yates Family Labradors puppy into your home, and if you have a few minutes to spare, we’d greatly appreciate a Google review!

Reviews help future families learn about our program and allow us to continue connecting great puppies with great homes.

⭐ Leave a review here:
https://g.page/r/CSR2DPLC5WHSEBM/review

Whether you’ve had your pup for 6 months or 8 years, we’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to mention your dog’s name, litter, training accomplishments, adventures, or simply what makes them such a great family member.

We love seeing the photos, updates, and stories shared in this group every day. In fact, we’ve had six YFL families place deposits for their next puppy in just the last two weeks, which is incredibly humbling and means the world to us.

If you’ve read this far and leave us a review, send me a screenshot, and I’ll get a YFL t-shirt in the mail to you ASAP!

Thank you for being part of the YFL family and for trusting us with your Labrador journey.

— Mark Jr. 🤎❤️🖤💛🐾

Post a review to our profile on Google

06/10/2026

7 YFL dogs are spending June at Board & Train with our friends at West Wind Retrievers!

🐾 Future YFL mamas: Ruby, Ziva & Lucy
🐾 Client dogs: Winnie, Riley & Junior
🐾 Special guest: Nash (YFL’s Nashville Hot Honey)

Nash is a yellow male from our Philly × Kidd Winter 2025 litter who recently came back to YFL. He’ll earn his CGC in July before becoming available for adoption. More details on Nash coming soon!

We’re excited to watch all seven dogs grow this month.

06/09/2026

Philly x Rio's Fox Red Summer Litter

If you've followed Yates Family Labradors for any amount of time, you've probably seen a Philly puppy.

Philly has quietly become one of the most influential females in our program. Her puppies live all over the country as hunting companions, service dogs, therapy dogs, adventure partners, and most importantly, beloved family members.

What makes Philly special isn't a title in front of her name. It's her ability to consistently produce puppies with the temperament, confidence, trainability, and loving personality that families are looking for.

When we paired her with Rio, our goal was simple: produce beautiful fox red Labradors that have the brains, health, and temperament to back up their looks.

And that's exactly what this litter delivered.

Rio is an impressive fox red male known for his trainability, athleticism, and natural retrieving ability. Weighing 80-85 pounds, he is a powerful dog in the field and an outstanding companion at home.

His title, SH (Senior Hunter), represents advanced hunting retriever skills and demonstrates his ability to perform under demanding hunting and hunt test conditions. Beyond his accomplishments in the field, Rio has extensive OFA and genetic health clearances, giving us confidence in the long-term health of his offspring.

Together, Philly and Rio produce puppies that are:

• Family-focused and people-oriented
• Highly trainable and eager to please
• Confident without being overwhelming
• Athletic enough for hunting, hiking, and outdoor adventures
• Calm companions when it's time to relax at home

These puppies represent everything we strive for in a modern American Labrador Retriever.

Philly x Rio Fox Red Summer Litter

Born: 5/20/26

Family Visit Day: 6/27/26
(Invite only for families who have placed deposits)

Take Home Day: 7/12/26

All puppies in this litter have been reserved.

The demand for our fox red puppies continues to exceed availability, and we are currently building a waiting list for our next fox red litter in spring of 2027, which is already in the works.

Thank you to all of the families who have trusted us with their next best friend. We can't wait to watch these puppies grow and make an impact on the lives of the families welcoming them home this summer.

Dam: YFL's Philadelphia Freedom

Sire: T&T's Swift and Surge SH

06/07/2026

From “Big” to… well… still Big 😅

The Bell family picked up “Big,” a chocolate female from our Vega x Tulsa Fall 2025 litter, and she has turned into an extraordinary family dog.

From an adorable little chocolate potato to a beautiful 70-pound girl, she has grown into exactly what we hope for—loving family companion, confident dog, and someone’s best friend.

These pictures are a great reminder that while puppies are cute for a few months, what really matters is the dog they become for the next 10–15 years.

Thank you Bell family for loving this girl so well ❤️

06/06/2026

Introducing Marley x Eli’s Summer Yellow Litter!

We are excited to officially introduce our Summer Yellow litter from Marley x Eli. These beautiful American Labrador puppies were born on 5/21/26 and have already been soaking up all the love, socialization, and early experiences that help create confident, well-rounded companions.

We know great puppies are built from more than pedigrees alone. While genetics, health testing, and temperament are the foundation of our program, early nurturing, human interaction, and raising puppies inside our homes are equally important.

These puppies are being raised surrounded by family, everyday household experiences, children, and constant interaction to help prepare them for success in their future homes.

Why Marley x Eli?

This is actually a repeat breeding for us — and repeat breedings happen for one reason: we absolutely loved what this pairing produced the first time.

Marley and Eli consistently produce puppies that are highly trainable, eager to please, athletic enough for sporting homes, but also settle beautifully into family environments. Their previous puppies have gone on to become hunting companions, active family dogs, therapy prospects, and simply amazing best friends.

Both parents represent what we love most about the American Labrador Retriever: biddability, strong temperaments, athleticism, and an off switch in the house.

What do all those titles mean?

Marley:
SHR Bustin's Lucky Number 7 JH DS WC

• SHR (Started Hunting Retriever) demonstrates basic hunting retriever skills and trainability
• JH (Junior Hunter) shows proven hunting ability and working drive through hunt testing
• DS (Dock Senior) demonstrates athleticism, confidence, and trainability
• WC (Working Certificate) confirms natural retrieving instincts and field ability

Eli:
HRCH Locust Groves Eli MH

• HRCH (Hunting Retriever Champion) is one of the highest hunting retriever accomplishments, demonstrating advanced obedience, marking, and retrieving ability under difficult conditions
• MH (Master Hunter) is an advanced hunting title requiring consistency, trainability, and high-level field performance

What this means for families is simple:

These dogs were not just bred because they are pretty. They were bred because they have proven they possess the intelligence, trainability, athleticism, confidence, and temperament that make Labradors so special.

Whether you are looking for a hunting buddy, hiking companion, family dog, future sporting dog, or your kid’s best friend — Marley x Eli consistently produces puppies capable of being all of those things.

Marley x Eli Summer Yellow Litter

Born: 5/21/26

Family Visit Day: 6/27/26
(Invite only for families who have placed deposits)

Go Home Day: 7/12/26

1 Female Available (as of 6/6/26)
Males are currently spoken for

Our puppies have gone home all across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with many staying close to home throughout Northern Virginia and Maryland.

If you have been considering adding an American Labrador Retriever to your family, now is the time to reach out — our litters tend to fill quickly.

Message us to learn more or reserve your spot.

Dam: Marley

Sire: Eli

06/04/2026

Fresh coat of paint before we really get going with the next few litters!

06/03/2026

Three future mamas. One month of training. Big things ahead.

Ziva, Ruby, and Lucy started this week in their Board & Train program with our great partners at West Wind Retrievers.

These girls will come back sharper, more enjoyable to live with (not that they aren’t already full of personality and joy), and will be working toward earning their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification.

All three are future mamas, and we hand-select every dog that becomes part of our breeding program over the years. Each of these girls lives with incredible guardian families throughout Northern Virginia and is helping represent what Yates Family Labradors is all about.

Whether you’re interested in getting your own dog trained, pursuing Canine Good Citizen certification, or learning more about becoming a guardian family and being part of YFL on a deeper level, reach out — we’d love to talk.

06/02/2026

The Labrador Retriever wasn’t created overnight. It was built over centuries.

From icy waters off Newfoundland retrieving fish from freezing oceans, to British estates where they became the ultimate hunting companion, the Labrador’s story is pretty incredible. What started as hardworking fishing dogs evolved into what many consider the greatest all-around dog ever created.

Today, Labs are trusted as hunting partners, service dogs, therapy dogs, detection dogs, search and rescue dogs, and of course… best friends. Their intelligence, trainability, retrieving drive, and desire to work alongside people are exactly why the breed has remained one of the most popular in the world for decades.

At Yates Family Labradors, we often say we don’t just breed puppies — we are stewards of an incredible breed with a rich history and purpose behind it.

Whether your YFL is retrieving ducks, helping change someone’s life as a service dog, chasing tennis balls, or sleeping upside down on your couch… they are carrying generations of history with them.

Drop a picture of your Lab below and tell us what “job” they think they have. ⬇️🐾

(Source inspiration from an awesome recent article by Ducks Unlimited on Labrador history)

The history of today’s favorite retriever

05/25/2026

It’s taken us two weeks to be able to write this.

Our sweet Quinn crossed the rainbow bridge, and each of us in the family has been grieving her loss in different ways. We truly appreciate all of the love, prayers, messages, and support from our incredible family and friends during this time.

Quinn was such a special dog and loved our family so well. She helped build so much of what Yates Family Labradors is today. Through her puppies, grandpups, and great-grandpups, her legacy now lives all over the world from titled hunting dogs, to service animals changing people’s lives, to beloved best friends for so many families.

My parent’s house has been quiet without her. Our daughter has been asking for her. Reagan knew it was time and rested her head on Quinn during her final moments. We are so thankful Quinn let us know it was her time, giving us the chance to gather together as a family, love on her, and say our goodbyes.

She truly was a queen. A great mother, grandmother, and companion.

This took a lot for us to write, but we wanted everyone to know and to allow our hearts some time to heal first.

Thank you all again for loving Quinn and supporting our family so deeply.

05/22/2026

Heartworm disease is no longer just a “southern dog” problem. New reports are showing expanding heartworm hotspots across the country, including here in the Mid-Atlantic. Warmer winters, longer mosquito seasons, and increased dog travel are all contributing factors.

At Yates Family Labradors, this is why we strongly recommend year-round heartworm prevention and regular veterinary care for every dog, even “indoor dogs.” Prevention is far easier, safer, and less expensive than treatment.

Talk with your veterinarian about what prevention program is best for your dog and stay consistent with it.