"Veterans & Service Dog's: Beneath The Surface" Special Interview with Shannon Walker  artwork
Behavioral Health Integration

"Veterans & Service Dog's: Beneath The Surface" Special Interview with Shannon Walker

  • S3E23
  • 55:14
  • October 2nd 2024

In this episode I have the honor to have Shannon Walker on as a special guest!

Shannon is the founder and CEO of Northwest Battle Buddies.

Northwest battle buddies is a nonprofit dedicated to providing professionally trained service dogs to combat Veterans battling PTSD, at no cost to the Veteran. With a professional dog training career spanning nearly three decades, Shannon is renowned for her profound dedication and tireless service to our nation's heroes.

Born in Pendleton, Oregon, Shannon's lifelong passion for dogs and training propelled her into the world of Schutzhund—a European canine sport renowned for testing a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills. Training under the tutelage of 1988 world Schutzhund champion Gene England, Shannon acquired extensive experience and knowledge in this specialized training method. Her diligence led to a decade-long competitive career at local, regional, national, and international levels, culminating in her winning the 2003 European Championship in Diest, Belgium.

Shannon's dedication to canine development is exemplified by her successful establishment of Man's Best Friend Boarding and Training Kennel in Battle Ground, Washington, in 1997. Over the years, Shannon and her team have trained thousands of dogs, addressed various behavioral issues, and provided solutions for both family pets and service dogs.


In 2011, Shannon was approached by a U.S. Veteran of the Iraq conflict who sought her assistance with his service dog. Deeply moved by the transformative impact of the service dog on this Veteran's life, Shannon was inspired to found Northwest Battle Buddies in 2012. To date, NWBB has partnered hundreds of professionally trained dogs with Veterans from all branches of the U.S. military, with Shannon overseeing the extensive training and care of all dogs and handler instruction provided to each Veteran.

Shannon's contact information

https://northwestbattlebuddies.org/

https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestBattleBuddies/

https://www.instagram.com/northwestbattlebuddies/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-T7QmOqo20RIRvzhe9ZEmQ

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Jacob Minnig, MA, LADC
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