Early puppy training and socialization is key to raising a good family companion, as well as a well mannered show dog.  Unlike children, who have formative years, puppies have formative months and the more things that you can do with your pup to help build his confidence during this time period, the better he's going to be as an adult.  We highly recommend prospective owners read the book "BEFORE AND AFTER YOU GET YOUR PUPPY" by Dr. Ian Dunbar.  His training methods are reward based, which our Ridgeback pups love!, are easy to follow and best of all...they work!  You can find this book on Amazon.com. 

We also highly recommend Clicker Training!  Many puppy kindergarten and obedience training classes combine this in their programs, so it's definitely a bonus if you can find one of these classes.  You can also get more information and clicker training materials from Karen Pryor's website:  www.clickertraining.com   You'll also find a wealth of information on dog training in general there.

Puppy Kindergarten Classes -

Whether you’ve had plenty of experience in training your own dogs in the past, it is our recommendation that you find a local dog training club that conducts puppy classes and get your new pup enrolled in one as soon as possible after you get him. This is the BEST thing you can do for you, your family AND your new pup!!   These classes tend to fill up fast, so do your homework, and be prepared for your new arrival.