| LisaCass,
I would probably use the same crate with dividers. His scent will stay with the crate and he will come to know it as his own special place. For training, you can start as soon as he has all of his final shots and immunizations. I would start with group classes as he will get some good socialization out of it.
We got Pandora at 5-1/2 weeks, so I know what you are in for. For potty training you should start immediately. You should take you pup out about every hour to see if he does anything. Every time he goes potty outside, give him lots of praise. With Pandora, we would say "good girl go potty" This is very helpful as she now understands what the word potty means and will go on command. If you catch him going in the house, tell him no and immediately go outside with him. If you find spots but didn't catch him in the act, don't bother correcting him for it as he won't be able to make the connection. As far as introducing him to your other dogs, I've heard that a group of dogs will sort the pack order out for themselves. They will probably roughhouse, and you can expect to find the occasional nicks and scrapes. Make sure you are supervising when all your dogs are together and ready to step in when things get too rough. For the most part, I would expect your older dogs to correct him when he is out of line. I hope this helps.
But most importantly enjoy this time and take lots of pictures, because your precious little guy will be a big lug in no time. Pandora is now almost 2 years and I can barely remember her when she weighed 5-1/2 pounds.
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Thanks,
Kevin |