New English Bulldog

Question
Hi.  I am going to be a new English bull dog owner in about 8 weeks.  Can you give me any advice for 1. getting ready for my new English Bulldog 2. Best ways to acclimate my cat to the new puppy.  3. Some general advice for the beginning days my dog and I share together.  FYI: I will have to be at work 6-7 hours a day, I plan on crate training, I live in Chicago in a condo.  Also, my brother will be here for the first 2 weeks with the puppy because my job will not be out for the summer (I teach).  After that, I have the summer to spend with my new dog, and I am hoping to get him acclimated to my work schedule by slowly increasing the time he stays in the crate.  

Answer
Six or 7 hours in a crate is a long time for a puppy. May I suggest you either find a puppy daycare of someone to come in midday to interact with the puppy in an effort to avoid behavior problems later on such as separation anxiety, distructive behavior and antisocial issues with people and other dogs.

The puppy and the cat will work out their own stuff. The cat will win. When the puppy arrives, just take it home and let it settle in. Don't invite all the relatives over to play with it the first day. Let the puppy explore it's new home and get the lay of the land.

I suggest you get the book "The Monks of New Skete". It's a wonderful training book for any new puppy owner.  You should be able to get this information from the breeder you purchased the puppy from as well.