That doesn't give a working answer. If one were unwilling to buy the whole system and just want to get the parts needed to start the dog what would be a good starting point and say up to about six months?

That doesn't give a working answer. If one were unwilling to buy the whole system and just want to get the parts needed to start the dog what would be a good starting point and say up to about six months?

I don't mind spending money on what I need to make a dog work out. I just don't see any intent at this time to have a dog that will do 200 yard blind retrieves or some of the stuff you see at the hunt trials. I guess I have time to buy the system, study and learn it, then get the dog at a later date. Which would probably help me be more confident using it anyway.
BTW, with Wolter's system both of my dogs were capable of blinds, multiple marks and whistle and hand control. But watching some of the stuff on those videos showed me that there is a lot more you can do to refine the dog, teach them a more solid trust in your commands and be more successful at it as an individual and that intrigued me.

A buddy of mine sent his pup to a "pro" in Caddo Mills. He had these plates on the wall of supposed accomplishments of his dogs. Six months of training costing him right at $4000. He "demonstrated" the dog could fetch a cast bumper at 50'. When I asked him some questions about marks and multiple casts he stated a 14 month old dog was too young to teach that. The dog came back looking sickly, had the runs and no more capable than I had my dogs at four months old. Actually not that good. First hunt, ducks came in, shotguns went off, and the dog was sent after a downed bird. Upon reaching the bird the dog sniffed it and stood there. Then, other birds came in. I shot at them, the dog took off and we never saw it again. Alive that is. Unfortunately not all "pro" trainers are. And for me it has further soured me on buying a pup from a breeder, even one that is a professional so to speak, so please try to understand that my questions come from a working mans point of view. I need to get the right pup and then do the right/best things with the training as best as I am capable. The pup I was looking at sold before I made a decision so I have time to buy and learn the system before I get a pup and start.