Shifters
There are similarities, but it's ultimately a different experience. Where I'm from, werewolves need to be bitten and mauled very nearly to death- and even then, there's no guarantee that the Change will take. Wolves live in packs- lone wolves don't often survive long because they tend to go mad. There is more, but I don't want to frighten I don't think we need to go into here. I'm happy to share what I know, though, and I know a lot because I grew up in a werewolf pack.
Walkers are rare, so I am not surprised you've never heard of them. We're direct descendants of a great spirit and are born with the ability to change into that primal entity's... form. I can change into a coyote because my father was an avatar of Coyote, a trickster spirit.