I took Smokey to the Puppy Headstart Class at Petsmart - he started the class when he was 11 weeks old.
My main reason was to get him socialized with other dogs while he was young.
While he does know basic commands now, he also LOVES other dogs which is what I wanted to accomplish (hopefully this will not change as he gets older).
I am getting him neutered and then plan on taking him back to another obediance class (as well as the dog parks and what not) to re-enforce the training part & to keep up on his social skills. I think it's important for the breed of dog I have.

Anyway... Good luck!
-manda99-