The biggest thing I took out of the Wolters books was the order of training. Teach this and that - once that's down pat work onwards to the next thing. I got a calendar without the dates and months on it (blank calendar thingie) and marked down as we reached each stage.
Once a stage was reached, it was marked down, and we went on to the next thing. I didn't take his "this is what you need to do by X week" as gospel. Of course, we were working off of Game Dog, which I think is his best book for your average guy.
When my (then) pup was 18 months old, we traveled down to Game Fair to see how the real dogs worked. The heat was horrible. I had no air in the old station wagon. After a quick tour through the dog stations, we headed for a tree near the lake where they were doing water retrieves. Many of the dogs refused to go, and I had talked to the guy running that deal and told him my boy would be pleased to get the lost dummies. Each time he was needed, he would take a running start down the hill, use the dock for extra loft, and launch himself into the water.
I was in no hurry to get back to the station wagon and roast all the way home, so we were there for quite a while. After a bit of time had passed, an older gentleman came and sat down next to me, and mentioned that there was some interest being expressed about whether my dog was for sale.
We chatted a bit, and when I finally looked at him squarely, I darn near choked. It was Richard Wolters. His dog was laying on the other side of him, and by gosh if it wasn't Tar, the star of Game Dog.
He eventually left, telling me he had a class to teach - and then told me to stay in the shade and keep my boy cool. I was approached afterwards by a couple of very nice fellows who were interested in taking my dog home - but seeing as he had been a wedding present from Mrs. Jackpine I wasn't entertaining any offers.
We met again several years later, and he was generous with both time and advice. I was working a new pup, and had to smile when he suggested gently that sometimes an owner had to enforce the "no" command (the pup was being more than a handful).
The Wolters method is an excellent starting point for someone figuring out how to do things without a lot of professional help. Keep the order of training in mind, keep your temper in check, and concentrate on thinking through the various training issues. Whether you're using Game Dog, Water Dog, or Training Your Retriever by James Lamb Free, the methods and techniques don't always work out like the books say. There are times when you simply need to back off for a few days or even a week.
If you're the type who demands instant foolproof results, or you know you don't have the patience to spend the time with the dog, there are pros who work with something called force training. I've seen some fine working dogs come out of such training.