I personally would insist on taking a puppy to class. It's not only for the training, but it also get's the puppy socialized with different surroundings. To adopt a dog at our local shelter, you have to sign a contract saying you will take the dog to a certain training facility.

When I start off training dogs, I reward for every behavior that I want, with a small cookie. Slowly I start doing multiple behaviors and then reward. For example when I trained Sage, he started off doing basic obedience. He would sit, and I would reward. Down, and I would reward. ETC. When he started understanding and working for a reward, then I would Have him sit, and down and maybe stand, and then reward. Now that he is advanced he gets random cookies during his training, so then he doesn't know when he is going to get one, and then he also get a "JACKPOT" at the end of his training. The same goes for when he does a rally or agility course. He does not get a reward during the course, but he gets a jackpot at the end. (A jackpot is when you reward with a bunch of different treats, sorta like when a human gets a money jackpot). I personally do not belive dogs do anything because they love us, they do it because they know that they might get something out of it, or for people that do old school dog training, they may get a pop on a choke or pinch collar.

I know a lot of people on here have different methods and opioions. This method works really well for my dogs, and the dogs that I have handled for other people.