Sounds like a good plan to me Jayne! It sounds as thought you've thought it through well, don't worry about what your SIL says . Crate training has lots of benefits, which you can always research and tell her about .

Have you done any obedience training before? I ask only because I hadn't when we got our puppy, so I went to a training school and it was the best thing I could have done. We ended up staying there for over a year, and going through a few levels, because I could see how good it was for our dog (for socialisation too), and because I learnt so, so much. I only stopped when I was pg with DS and too sick to go anymore. DH grew up around lots and lots of dogs and puppies (his parents bred them), but he found it very useful too, once we got past the beginner stages. I would really recommend it to anyone getting a puppy, particularly if you have kids . Our dog would have ended up walking all over me had we not done it, and as a result probably ended up thinking she ruled the kids in the household too. She certainly knows her place now though!

How exciting Jayne, I can't wait to hear all about Banjo!