Wally was a successful professional dog trainer long before coming onto the SOK Team. For him, there is nothing better than watching a well trained dog work in the field. He enjoys all the work that is involved to get a dog to that point. Wally has trained gundogs for over a decade, and he has been a successful hunt test handler for over seven years. He is our head trainer at SOK Great Lakes, and Wally consistently trains and handles dozens of dogs per year for our clients. He was able to oversee the expansion of our Great Lakes campus and the development of over 40 acres of training grounds including multiple technical ponds.
Don is the behind-the-scenes driving force of SOK. Beyond handling the general operations of our largest campus, SOK Great Lakes, Don handles a ton of the work-load within our SOK Family. He has trained and still handles several SOK labradors. Don is the guy who identifies an issue, finds the solution, and makes it happen. Before running an SOK Campus, Don and Wally ran a successful gundog training kennel in Michigan. Don is passionate about chasing waterfowl and ensuring the SOK continues to lead the pack in producing and training the best in UK Labrador retrievers.
Wally Schalau and Don Collyer of Southern Oak Kennels – North continues to be a vital arm of the SOK family. Every year this team continues to breed, import, train, and hunt over some of the best British Labradors this side of the Atlantic. Anyone who knows Don or Wally know how committed to the breed of Labrador Retrievers they are. The bond of a well-trained British Labrador is second to none, and the quality of relationships that Don and Wally have built with their clients is second to none. Southern Oak Kennels is privileged to have our North Campus in such good hands!
