Welcome Gundogger.
Man I love hunting dogs, they are the absolutely best dogs in the world and the most enjoyable to look at in pictures and watch hunt in videos. God made the perfect dogs when he made gun dogs.
My best dog every was a Brittany and now I own a two year old English Springer Spaniel. Impossible to live without a hunting dog.
Nice thing about this hobby there is no rush, and actually slower is better and more enjoyable. I have back and feet issues and I just take my time. Some days my back will only give me an hour or two and just quit. I do think that detecting helps me with my back issue by giving my back a workout especially when bending over and kneeling down to digs. Some times I have to push up with my shovel, but hey, I always have my shovel handy.
There are some really great guys and gals to learn from. they will answer any question, and we were all newbies at one time.