I second the obedience class.  Enroll in a puppy class, start immediately and you will be rewarded quickly. GSPs are very fast learners, but require a ton of "brain food".  My guess is that you will find your GSP to be one of the most "excited" dogs in class, but also the quickest to learn if you put the time in daily on your own.

Books:

"Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson.  This is a really good book.  I'm not going to lie, it's a bit heavy on the psychology stuff, but has fabulous information about positive reinforcement training.

One of the hardest things I have found in training is to find a method that you can relate to and stick with it.  Every person has different theories on training dogs, and I think many of them can produce a good outcome for some dogs and a terrible outcome for others (the "dominance theory", NO this, NO that, etc).  I try to follow our trainers recommendations and head back to it each time I have a "problem".

For new puppies I always recommend an obedience class as you can't beat getting the socialization your puppy will get. Also, you have someone you can ask questions. As others have said there are allot of methodologies for training and each one has its place. Just be sure you do train using a method you are comfortable with. Here are some books I like.

The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete

Beyond Basic Dog Training by Diane L. Bauman (good for after basic obedience even if you will not be competing in obedience)

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia B. McConnell (I like this one a little better than Culture Clash, also Patricia McConnell has some other books that I just bought. Haven't read them yet though.)

And finally, not a dog training book, but a great read for shorthair folks:

10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me, Life Lessons from a Man's Best Friend by Carlo De Vito
(the dog in the book is a shorthair and I will guarantee you won't be able to put it down)

Yeah -- Carlo's book is pretty darn hard to put down for sure.  And it features Nancy Campbell early in the book who has headed the GSPCA National Rescue operation off and on for near 20 years -- that is who he got his rescue GSP from.  So a nice circle back to GSPCA National Rescue and the incredible work the volunteers in that org do to get the right dogs in the right forever homes.  Can't say enough good things about that, and this book helps emphasize the importance 

I really like the Susan Garrett methods that are focused on Agility, but her "It's yer Choice" and "Crate Games" stuff is central to any dog's training, plus you end up with a positively reinforced dog that LOVEs it's crate . . .

Dave

Hi everyone.  I'd like to introduce you all to our new puppy Maya.  She will be 9 weeks old tomorrow (July 9).  She has been great so far.  Amazingly smart and tons of fun.  She is pretty much house broken after about 5 days and is sleeping silently through the night.  We are extremely happy with her so far.  Let's hope she can maintain this temperment through adolescence!!!

I did not read everyone's post, just the writers, and this is pretty simple in my opinion, YOU CAN ENJOY A GSP even so!  I would recommend a nice 3-5 yr old, who has some of that "wild hair" out of their system already, once they get used to your routine they are not picky, they will be entertained with whatever you can provide.  There are many days I'm busy with my two jobs and rescue and the house or rescue dogs, that I don't have time to run my own dogs.  They are older, they adapt!  You will find too, some are bred for show, or field trials, some are more family orientated bred...  I would stay away from field variety, as they were built for speed in the field, and if you cannot keep them entertained, they will entertain YOU.  Those dogs are on the high end of energy level, that might not work for your sitation.  I can help direct you to a rescue in your area, where maybe you can get hands on, and see if this is the breed for you without making any hasty decision.  Good luck, whatever you decide. 

What a cutie. I love the name. Barb and Cody