A Family Tradition

Dogs have been part of the Yates family for nearly four decades, but our story with the Labrador Retriever eventually became something much bigger.

We fell in love with the breed for the reasons so many people do: their intelligence, temperament, athleticism, loyalty and remarkable ability to adapt to almost any role asked of them.

In 2007, that love for Labradors became Yates Family Labradors.

What began with Mark Sr. and Christine has grown into a multigenerational family breeding program involving Mark Jr., Kristen, our children and grandchildren, and an extended YFL family that now reaches across the United States and beyond.

Through all that growth, our purpose has remained simple:

Raise healthy, confident, versatile Labradors that we are proud to put the Yates Family name behind.

From One Generation to the Next

Mark Sr. laid the foundation for YFL in 2007 and remains an active part of the program today. His love for the Labrador Retriever, attention to temperament and training, and belief in doing things the right way helped establish the standards that continue to guide YFL.

Christine has been part of that journey from the beginning. When puppies are raised inside your family home, breeding dogs isn't something that happens somewhere else after work. It becomes part of everyday family life.

As YFL grew, the next generation became increasingly involved.

Today, Mark Jr. works directly with prospective and current YFL families, manages much of the breeding program and helps guide families through everything from their first application and phone call to litter updates, puppy selection, take home and the years that follow.

Kristen and our children are part of daily life at YFL as well. Our puppies don't simply encounter a family during scheduled socialization sessions. They grow up in the middle of one.

That's an important distinction to us.

YFL has changed considerably since 2007, but it remains exactly what its name says: Yates Family Labradors.

Breeding With Purpose

Every YFL litter starts long before puppies are born.

We evaluate health testing, genetics, pedigree, temperament, structure, trainability, working ability and the strengths and weaknesses of each individual dog before deciding on a pairing.

Over the years, we've had the opportunity to develop multigenerational YFL bloodlines, allowing us to know more than what appears on a pedigree. In many cases, we have personally known the parents, grandparents and previous generations behind the dogs in our program.

At the same time, we aren't limited to the dogs we own. We carefully select outside sires when we believe they are the right complement to one of our females and the direction we want to take that particular bloodline.

Our breeding dogs undergo extensive health testing including OFA evaluations of the hips, elbows and eyes along with comprehensive genetic testing.

The goal isn't simply to produce another litter.

Every generation should give us a reason to be excited about the next one.

Raised at Home

YFL is not a commercial kennel.

Our puppies are born and raised inside our family home in Arlington, Virginia, affectionately known by our children and grandchildren as “Labrador Land.”

For their first eight weeks, puppies grow up surrounded by adults, children, other dogs, household activity and age appropriate experiences designed to help them develop into confident and adaptable Labradors.

Our adult dogs are family dogs too.

Some live with us, while others live with carefully selected guardian families where they get to be someone's family dog first and foremost while remaining an important part of YFL.

You can learn much more about where and how our puppies are raised on our Our Home page.

Purpose Bred for More

One of the things we admire most about the Labrador Retriever is its versatility.

There isn't just one definition of a successful YFL dog.

Some spend their lives as beloved family companions.

Some grow up alongside children and become their best friend.

Some retrieve birds from duck blinds and spend weekends in the field.

Some earn AKC titles and Canine Good Citizen certifications.

Some work as therapy dogs.

And some YFL Labradors have gone on to perform life changing work as service dogs.

Different families come to us looking for very different things, and we don't believe every Labrador should be expected to fit into the same box.

Our goal is to produce Labradors with the health, temperament, intelligence and trainability to thrive wherever life takes them.

What Sets YFL Apart

Family run since 2007
Nearly two decades dedicated to breeding and raising Labrador Retrievers.

Multigenerational YFL bloodlines
We have personally raised and known generations of dogs behind many of today's YFL Labradors.

Extensive health testing
OFA hips, elbows and eyes along with comprehensive genetic screening help guide responsible breeding decisions.

Thoughtful pairings
Health, temperament, structure, pedigree, trainability and breeding goals are considered when selecting each pairing.

Raised inside our home
Our puppies aren't raised in a commercial kennel environment. They're raised at Labrador Land alongside our family.

Versatility
YFL Labradors have become family companions, hunting partners, service dogs, therapy dogs and working dogs.

Support beyond eight weeks
Our relationship with a family doesn't end when they drive away with their puppy.

Once YFL, Always YFL

This may be the part of our program that means the most to us.

When we bring a puppy into the world, we believe we have a responsibility to that dog that extends beyond the eight weeks they spend in our home.

Life changes.

Families move. Children arrive. Jobs change. Illness happens. Unexpected circumstances arise.

Our contracts maintain YFL's first right of refusal if one of our families can no longer care for their dog. Our goal is simple: a dog created by Yates Family Labradors should always have Yates Family Labradors behind them.

We also remain available to our families for questions about training, behavior, nutrition, health, development and everyday Labrador ownership.

Many of our families return years later for their second or third YFL Labrador.

To us, that's one of the greatest compliments we can receive.

Our Partners & Affiliations

We believe a responsible breeding program should continue learning and evolving.

YFL maintains relationships with veterinary professionals, trainers, canine organizations and companies that help us continue improving the health, training and care of our dogs.

Some of our affiliations and partnerships include:

International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) Breeder Member

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen Evaluators

Fi Smart Dog Collar Partner

Veterinary, reproductive and canine health professionals

Service dog and professional training relationships

These relationships give us access to additional knowledge, resources and expertise while allowing YFL to continue evolving without losing the family approach on which the program was built.