Wilson was only 4 mths old when I put his name down! He started when he was just over a year!
Becky

Obviously you have to be a 'pushy parent' these days even with dogs, putting your young ones names down well in advance to get what you want! eg putting young Tarquin's name down for Eton as soon as he's born!

Wow. That's crazy. I got Jenny in october and started her in april (2004, folks )

I agree, if that many people in your area want it, you could probably run another club. Obviouslty the running clubs don't have time for that many people, so why not start another for the overflow.

I know it is a bit of a trek for you, but have you contacted Lune Valley Agility Club in Morecambe? I used to take Flame training there and we both enjoyed it.

2years ??? Good grief

I have to say, I`m baffled at the length of time of some waiting lists I`ve heard about
The club I used to be with runs several new beginners classes a year so the longest people have to wait really is up to four months, [ when I was there anyway but I doubt if thats changed ], and only because there the beginners classes don`t get started until there are well over 20 names on the list, [ their drop out rate is usually just over half, not all dogs take to it and sometimes the class times after induction courses are not suitable for some handlers ].

At my club, I don`t worry about how many or how few want to start at any one time, last night for instance I had two new dogs in a class with two which had done a bit of training before we had to break because of bad weather [ a very long break ], so using one set-up of equipment I could give them exercises suited to their already learned level as well as the basics for the new ones - worked really nicely as the newest could learn from watching handlers who had a little more experience.
I do like to keep to small class numbers though so its easy for me to give as much attention as is needed and to give people exercises to do to suit each dog even if they are very different levels on occasion ie if a handler can`t make their normal class they can train on a different day but with their exercises at their level regardless of what the others are doing in the class.
If I got a call tomorrow from someone wanting to start, they would be able to come to the next class with the other beginners, [ so less than a week to wait ], as I would just give them the exercises the others had already done and if they are a couple of weeks behind its not a problem because when the others moved to the next class up the newer one would get one to one until they could move up as well - lessons with me cost the same whether one to one or in a class, with one to one they just get rests between goes or I do what I did for one on Monday which was to get my landlady to bring her dog to train at the same time so that one dog was`nt doing too much in one go

I`m the only instructor for my club, but if I can be flexible for new people I don`t see why other clubs can`t especially big clubs with several instructors - unless their class numbers are too big to be so easily managed :smt017

OK I have the freedom to put on as many classes as I want because I don`t rent somewhere which is used for other activities but even so its not hard to give a new handler suitable exercises while others in the class do more complex or advanced things rather than them have to wait months of years to get in to a class :smt102

Isochick, if you can`t find somewhere with a more reasonable timescale, move to Colly, I could fit you in within a week of you wanting to start :smt023