I have a Golden Retriever that is nearly 4 years old. She is generally quite well behaved. I did some village hall puppy classes and then some junior gun dog work. She was quite good, but abit too full of fun to concentrate. We stoppped, because we just seemed to be doing the same thing each lesson, and it was getting expensive.

I'd love to do something with her, because I just love being outside with her. but have I missed the boat? If not, how should I go about it?

I'd appreciate any comments!! Good or bad!

LOL read the title and thought you wished to train a dog of less than 4"

Now I have re-screwed the head I would say you can train a dog till the day it dies. Choose what you wish to do and off you go, if it is agility you will need to teach a moderate level of obedence first and make sure the dog is fit, but training is not a problem.

I did the same Nova ! teaches us to read the question , I am always saying that to the kids at school LOL

Apologies for the title...at least it meant I got a couple of replies!!  Anyway, what do you think?!
I was wondering about some more gun dog work?

As I said a dog will learn for as long as it lives so go for it, not problem at all as far as the dog is concerened.

My GR was coming up to 3 years old when I started agility with him and he loves it. I still go to obedience training a couple of times a month with him but have cut down on that because he stopped enjoying it. He still did all that was asked of him but lost that spring in his step and his enthusiasm. Is there anyone near you who teaches tracking? That is my next goal with him and I know he will really love that as he has great fun finding hidden objects in the house and garden and that is the one thing he gets excited about at training class.

I agree entirely that your dog will enjoy learning throughout its lifetime. As a trainer I encourage all ages and breeds of dog to attend classes. The important thing is to provide the dog with a stimulating environment relating to the kind of training you wish to achieve. It is also sensible to temper the exercises to the ability of the owner. In my experience it is always harder to persuade the owner that thier dog is not human than it is to get the dog to unlearn bad habits taught through lack of understanding of canine natural behaviour.

So...next question. How do I get help in my local area? I have checked the APDT site and googled and I end up with so many hits that are mostly miles away. I have started to do bits on my own, but a class would be better. Also, many trainers seem to offer ad-hoc sessions. I would rather sign up for a course, say, a term's worth. Is this unusual?

You need gundog training and that is where I bail out as I have no idea. I think I would suggest you try the KC and ask them about training for gundogs, there may even be clubs for working gundogs but I do not know about them. Try another thread with a title suggesting what it is you want like, "Training for gundogs" or "Preparing a dog for Trials"

Have a look on here, there'll probably be something in your area :-)

http://www.basc.org.uk/content/training_with_gundog_club

How about flyball?  I started my GSD when she was 5, and she picked it up surprisingly quickly.  Great for high energy dogs!