My husband and I adopted Oliver in April of 2020. We had been calling and visiting Golden Retriever breeders. I can say without reservation that Mary Kay and Great Lakes Kennel are the absolute best. Oliver is not only a beautiful Golden, he lives up to every aspect of the Golden Retriever reputation: Loving, smart, and wonderful with other dogs and children. I attribute his health, personality, temperament and need I say good looks to Mary Kay and Great Lakes Kennel. She breeds her dogs with love and integrity – the perfect combination for a wonderful dog.
Kathy Falk from Michigan
This Billionaire Celebrity family couldn’t have been more pleased after flying in to pick up their Great Lakes Kennel puppy! We sell to many high profile customers and we keep your information and identity private! If your personal information is a concern, be at ease knowing we have alot of experience working with Actors/Actresses, Musicians, Artists, Sports figures and everyone in between!!!
Last year around March or April we found Mary Kay on the internet while looking for a little puppy. And boy were we lucky to find her!! Right from day one and even up to now she is so accommodating to not only us but if you look at her Facebook page(Mary kay Hebert) she has hundreds or more people who thank her on a daily basis for the beautiful puppies that we all are so lucky to have! From the day they are conceived she gives updates and sends pictures. And then when they are born we received beautiful pictures sometimes every week but for sure every 2.
We chose the little Yorki Poos and we got one and our Son got the brother so the day we came to get our Babies Mary Kay was right there snuggling each one and kissing them goodbye . You can really see how much she loves each and every one of her babies!!! She sent us home with a goodie bag of food and toys and snacks! He’s been home with us for 3 1/2 months now and I am always sending her pictures along with everyone else! We have all formed a Friendship with Mary Kay that I’m sure will last a good while! We love this little goofball and so glad we made a friend in Mary Kay! Glad we found you and highly recommend you!
Bill and Sandy Shock and Kyle Demers
Great Lakes Kennel has the most beautiful Golden’s and Sheepadoodles I’ve ever seen. They are exceptional and outstanding production of quality puppies, along with adhering to the AKC requirements for being a responsible breeder of pure bred dogs. Kay is a very intelligent and caring breeder. While she is strait-forward, she answers every question with respect. Her dogs are absolutely beautiful and high-quality. They have wonderful temperaments and are sweet, lovable puppies and dogs. She truly cares about her dogs and the people that are adopting them. We just got our Golden Retriever, Daisy, in October and our sweet little Sheepadoodle in the Spring and they are amazing. Our puppies are very social and love the outdoors. I would definitely recommend Great Lakes Kennel if you are looking for a Golden Retriever or Sheepadoodle for your family.
Angie and Samantha Bondie, MI
We love our golden retrievers from Great Lakes Kennel. We have one that is from a litter 4 years ago and we just got another golden retriever from a recent litter. We live in Illinois and we won’t go anywhere else to get goldens but Great Lakes Kennel. Mary Kay does a great job with her dogs having healthy puppies. You can tell she has a passion for being a dog breeder and wants the best for her dogs. Thank you so very much for great dogs!
Our sweet Simon, a yorkiedoodle, has been a wonderful addition to our family. He is playful, fun, loving, and so smart!! We attribute his great characteristics to Kay’s quality breeding. After our initial meeting, Kay provided weekly pictures and updates to us as he grew. She encouraged and welcomed our visits until Simon was old enough to come home with us. She gladly participated in making Simon a surprise birthday present for our 14-year-old!!! Kay is very knowledgeable about her pups and takes great pride in them! We love our Simon! Thanks Kay!
Alyse & Sons, Port Austin, MI
12 years ago on the referral of a friend , we contacted Kay as we were looking to get a new dog and had heard that Golden Retrievers were the best dogs for children. With 4 kids under the age of 11 it was a must! After visiting Kay and seeing the litter and what a great breeder Kay was , we decided to get 2 Golden’s-Maddie and Mia…After losing our Mia earlier this year , we thought it would be helpful for our Maddie to have a little sister around in her senior years. So it was a no brainer to reach out to Kay once again and she just happened to have a litter again of Golden’s…This past week we brought home our little Mabel, our Third Golden from Kay! We couldn’t be more pleased!We wouldn’t have gone to anyone else. Thank you Kay! – Kurt and Jenelle Phibbs, Cooper, Landon, Jake and Lauren
My Sheepadoodle, Henry is very loving. When I first picked him up from Kay, I could tell he and the other pups were well cared for. She genuinely cares about her dogs and takes care when placing them in their new homes. Henry is a healthy and very social dog.
Jeanine Pryor, Upper Pennisula, MI
Big Jake is growing like a weed. 45 pounds now. Just ran 3.5 miles with Brian on a trail. We love him!
Kristie and Brian Harbaugh, Tawas MI
This is Archie, our (almost) 2 year old golden retriever. Our experience getting Archie from Kay was wonderful. She gave us a little goody bag filled with toys, food, and all his shot records. We know Kay personally and she’s an amazing person who takes great care of her dogs. We recently took Archie to the vet to update his shots and the vet told us he was an extremely healthy, gorgeous boy and he even said he wanted to take Archie home with him, haha! We love our golden boy and cannot recommend Great Lakes Kennels enough! Thank you Kay for our precious Archie!
Kat and Josh Slaughter of Caseville, MI
We got our OES Aggie last April and we get non-stop compliments about the health and beauty of our dog. We can barely get through town without just about everyone wanting to pet her (which she loves more than just about anything). Kay has been great! She’s been a valuable resource for months before and after; I was pretty thorough in my research and Kay took about a million phone calls from me and answered every little question I had. She even was willing to take Aggie back for two weeks while my wife and I were on our honeymoon! We also opted not to dock Aggies tail and Kay was more than willing to work with us on making that work.
The Grants, MI
I cannot say enough about Kay Tennant and Great Lakes kennel. Our OES is one amazing dog, was easy to potty train, is great with kids and is the most lovable dog ever. Working with Kay was great, she kept me informed when our puppy was shipped, checked on him to make sure he arrived and was okay and if I had any questions, she was always available. Could not ask for a better dog than Ollie!
Susan Riffe, WA
We love, love, LOVE our Old English Sheepdog! He is the perfect addition to our family. Everyone that meets him falls in love. Even the vet commented on what a wonderful disposition he has. Otis is SO SMART and we are amazed at how quickly he learns new things. We can’t thank Great Lakes Kennel enough for answering all of our questions (we had so many) and for loving Otis from the beginning. He’s such a happy and healthy puppy and we are so grateful for that.
Annette Stojcevich from MI
About 3 years ago, my husband, Chris, and I got our first golden puppy from you for a wedding present to each other. We named our puppy Chewie and we absolutely love him. He is the best dog either of us have ever owned. Most days you can find Chewie begging us to go for a walk or a swim. I honestly think Chewie would spend more time in water than on land if he could choose. He has become our big 100 pound baby.
Thank you, Jenny Rohman
Vivienne is so in love with Kozie! We are all! He has been such a joy to the family and brings us so much laughter. He is such a clown! We love him!
Vivienne, Trang, and Kenny
We and our friends, the Boyds, have a lot in common: our love for the University of Michigan, summers at the lake, and Great Lakes Kennel. We adopted two littermates from Great Lakes Kennel on July 4th weekend, 2010. We named ours Maizey and they named theirs Blue after the UM school colors. They have spent many fun summer days together at Lake Michigan on vacation, and have since grown into wonderful, beautiful dogs. Our Maizey is easily trainable, super friendly, calm around the house, sweet and sensitive. She loves swimming, fetch and is a tireless athlete. She even invented her own game of “soccer” where she passes a small ball back and forth to us by rolling it across the floor. She and her big sister Roxy (our other golden) can often be seen sleeping nose to nose after a rousing wrestling match in the yard. We plan to make Maizey a certified Therapy Dog like Roxy, once she gets a little older. Maizey and Blue still get to see each other in the summer at the lake. He has become an intrepid sailor, solidly perched at the back of his dad Kevin’s boat. He also keeps things under control at the family’s dental practice in Chicago. The Boyds say Blue is the most popular dog at his doggy daycare because of his playful demeanor and friendliness. They love him as much as we love our Maizey. Both dogs’ photos have graced the family’s Christmas cards and will continue to do so for many years to come. We love our Tennant’s Goldens and would recommend their dogs to anyone looking for a wonderful addition to their family.
This family couldn’t have been more pleased after flying in from Missouri to pick up their little bundle of Joy!
We couldn’t be happier with our Golden Retriever. We purchased our pup Brandi three years ago from Mary Tennant. They are well bred and come from a good, loving home. This breed is a well behaved family dog that loves kids. I can’t tell you enough how gentle she is. If your looking for a family pet look no further. Brandi has brought joy to many lives including ten senior citizens. She goes to work at an assisted living home four days a week as a pet therapy dog. She can’t wait to get there each day and is loved by all.
Kay Nieschulz – Bay Port, MI
Kay, I can’t begin to tell you how much we love Otis! He is the funniest boy. He is so sweet and just bad enough to keep us laughing!! He is without a doubt the smartest puppy we have ever had!! (Out smarts me … a LOT!) He crate trained so easily that we still talk about it (4 months later) in amazement. He LOVES anyone and everyone and is always excited to meet a new furry friend. Thank you so much for making the process of bringing him to his forever home so easy. I so appreciate your continued interest in your babies and for being his first human momma!! You clearly love them all so much!! I look forward to sharing his life with you.
Hi Kay,
We just wanted to update you on how much we are falling in love with Ace. He’s already filling the void we felt, and has brought so much laughter back!! Amber loves being greeted by him at the bus stop. I love the excuse to walk down to greet her! I have been quite surprised at how fast he’s been able to adapt to the leash, our home, and our routine. Kay you made this process so easy and comfortable for me. Ace was obviously loved!!! The trip East seemed effortless with Stan driving. He was so easy going and great with the pups. I can’t thank you enough for what you have given us.
Sincerely, Heidi Vigeant, New Jersey
“Thank you for giving me such a precious puppy” Katy, from Traverse City MI
My wife and I had been searching for an OES for some time and we were so lucky to find Kay. Since getting Charlie in April we have been absolutely thrilled. Kay was very responsive to all of our questions during the process and she made the shipping process very convenient for us, and more importantly, safe and comfortable for the pooch. His temperament is just wonderful and he has been such a great addition to the family. Thanks Kay!
Andrew and Becky Hall of Minneapolis, MN
Here is Beckett. Can’t believe he’ll be 4 years old soon! He’s still weighing in around 90 lbs. or so and his health is good!
Jeff Zeleji, MI
Mary Kay,
Thank you so much for my new puppy! He is climbing over my feet as I write this, he is just so cute! Batman (formerly Finn) is a complete joy. He always makes us laugh with all of the adorable positions he sleeps in. Even when he is being a “naughty” puppy, he becomes an angel for meal time! He has sat for every treat or meal I give him from the beginning. His crate training and potty training are going well, and I’m beginning basic obedience. He follows me everywhere I go. Ground shipping worked out great, Kay was very open to any questions I had through the whole process. I feel so blessed to have Batman in my life and just wanted to thank you again!
Best wishes, Sandra
I have had many dogs in my life but the Golden that I received from Great Lakes Kennel is by far the friendliest and smartest dog I have ever owned. My Golden is an awesome upland and water fowl retriever who was very easy to train!
Sean – Elkton, MI
“Bella Sprinkles Dunlap” adopted by the Dunlaps of Fraser, MI. “We think she is just beautiful”!
From day one when we were interested in adopting an Old English Sheepdog from Great Lakes Kennel the process was easy and all of our questions were answered with ease. Our adorable puppy Chloe was driven to the Delaware water gap where we picked her up which made for a much easier transition to New York. As soon as we met her she climbed right into my arms and sat on my lap the entire way home!! The transportation that Tennants Goldens provided was such a great alternative to flying. Kay was truly a pleasure to work with and we cant thank her enough for allowing our beautiful baby Chloe into our lives. Chloe was loved right from the start and Kay takes care of the puppies like family up until they leave her home. We have recommended Kay to all of our family and friends. Thanks again!!!
The Tedesco’s of New York
Cooper is doing very well! I believe that Cooper truly thinks that he is a person and he is not just our dog, but a member of our family. We are all so glad that my husband made that trip to Michigan and brought Cooper home to us!”
The Elwoods from NY
– Nathan and Haley Schulz, NC
We have been very pleased with the purchase of D.O.G. He has made a significant contribution to our family and special needs students within my classroom. D.O.G. has offered comfort to my students as well as assisted in teaching them daily life skills and about commitment to being a responsible pet owner. As a service dog, he has undoubtedly been the best Teacher’s Pet that I could have ever asked for!
Diane Walker – Bay City, MI
Just thought you would like to see your girl at a year old. Gracie (formerly Charity) has the rule of the roost as you can see. Thanks again for making getting her so easy.
Tina Rufo – Los Angeles, CA
We are head over heels in love with our sweet little ball of mischief, Fetsey. She is the queen of the castle around here and is quite the little diva already. Her initial flight to us in Boston was easy and not the least bit traumatic for her. It was climate controlled and she jumped out of the crate right into my arms where she showered me with kisses from the start! She was friendly and happy toward the people that brought her out to me as well. We didn’t have to wait long at all once her flight came in and she slept in the car on the long ride back to Mendon where we live. I have to say that from the start of our introduction to Great Lakes Kennel we were treated well with advice and responses and were guided every step of the way and would recommend you as a breeder for future parents. Thank you again for making our little Fetsey part of our lives!
Stan and Susie Ziel of Mendon, MA
My darling Paris arrived safe sound and so happy. She is healthy and just a joy. Mary Kay sent me pictures from birth up to the date of arrival so I could see how my Paris grew and interacted. Mary Kay was great and we all adore our little Paris!
Karen Kraemer of STURGRON BAY, WI