I have taken the puppy classes at Cascade and they are wonderful. They don't do a lot in means of training the dog, but more train you. You will learn a lot of great tips for housetraining and socializing your pup. I've heard the classes at Leashes and Leads are excellent but have not used them.

My best advise would be to just prepare yourself. Accept the fact that for the next several months, you will be trudging outside in your boots every few hours trying to get the adorable little ball of fur to learn to potty out there and not on your carpet. Accept that said adorable ball of fur will probably still potty on your carpet from time to time - stock up on spray bottles of carpet cleaner. One of those spot carpet cleaners are a good buy too. Plan to professionally clean your carpets in 6-12 months, once puppy has a good handle on the house training. Teach everyone to put away anything that they value - shoes, toys, etc. Plan to replace a few pairs of shoes!

All of that sounds really bad - and I don't mean it to be discouraging. Its just reality. In the end, its worth it. I can't imagine life without our 15 lb chiweenie that had me pulling my hair out for the first six months of her life. Just like with a newborn baby, you eventually forget how rough the first few months were.

Oh - and if you get a dog that sheds, I highly recommend a nice robo-vacuum. BEST.INVENTION.EVER.

Enjoy your new puppy!