[Teresa Ford]

Hi. Puppy Classes ?
I train puppies, so I vote yes, do puppy classes. Hopefully you can train him the basics before classes, like Sit, Enough (barking) and good Quiet, Down, Off and Come. An easy to read and follow book is by Sarah Hodgson DOG PERFECT the user-friendly guide to a well-behaved dog

Crate training and type ?
I prefer wire crates. You can leave open or cover it to make a snuggy den.
I think all dogs should be crate trained. Almost all dogs will have to be in a crate at some point in their life. Crating should not cause more stress but , make them feel more safe in a stressful situation. They will have to be crated, if they are ill and have to stay at the Vets, or have surgery. Dogs can travel on a train, ship, or air planes and stay in many motels, yes they must be crated. If a disaster happens, a hurricane, flooding, earth quake, mud slides, or fires happen and you have to leave your home, a crate is a safe secure place for your dog to be during transport. And ALL Animal friendly shelters require dogs to be crated when inside the shelter building. Dogs that bark excessively, whine, act crazy or aggressive etc. will be told to leave.
I know this first hand, we had to leave our home here in Fla. because of a hurricane. My dogs behaved beautifully, they were cozy dry had their own, blankets toys , food and crates. Some people had to rush to Wal-mart and buy a crate before it closed. Their dogs (and Cats) barked, whined, or screamed and tried to get out of the crate. Several people had to put their dogs outside the building, under a tarp, so people could sleep. It was sad and awful.