You've already gotten some good advice. I've posted this link before on the
gift of growling, but I think it applies here too.
It changed my views on growling. It also made me realize I would much rather have a dog that growled instead of one that didn't.
Beyond that, I will say that before I got my male, who's now 3, I had never taken any formal dog training classes. No one in my immediately family had taken classes either.
I didn't know what to expect when I took him to Puppy Kindergarten, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed class and the training process. I love the bonding I do with my dogs, I like being able to ask the trainer how to handle an issue I may be having with the dogs, etc.
There have been instances when money was tight and I thought training classes' were a luxury. Unfortunately, one of the times occurred when my male went through his teenager phase 2 years ago. I was able to find a one night CGC workshop that cost a third of the price of regular classes, but was enough to remind my dog good behavior from him was expected, not optional.
Keep in mind that you can also have fun with your dog, it doesn't always have to be an all work and no play way of life. For example, I enjoy taking my dogs on my boat and taking them out swimming at a nearby lake. My female loves to put her front paws on the front seat while we go down the lake. She seems to love the wind in her face.