Steve, Stacey the boys and I would like to thank you for training our dog and training us. Dakota is doing great and we are a happy family. I would like to tell everyone some backround of our dog. We got Dakota at 10 weeks old(pure bred German Shepard) and everything was good. As she got older she became too protective, to the point where she would not let anyone into our house or anybody ev3en around my family.My wife would bring Dakota to my son's sporting events and would have to stand far away from evryone.We decided we needed to take her for training. The first two trainers we took her to (a local traning school and a Petsmart) both places seperated us from the rest of the class. Even though Dakota "gratuated" from both schools none of our problems were solved. The next in home trainer we called had a 100% guranatee or your money back offer. This trainer ended up trying to train our dog from behind our fence he was also scared of her. After two sessions he never came back and also called us and told us to get rid of the dog because it was too aggressive and could not be trained.A friend of mine told me about A-1 Total control dog training and he said"he's the best I've ever seen." I called A-1 and was offered a FREE 21/2 hour class. The class was over an hour from our house, but we decided to give it a shot because it was free and if we didn't get Dakota under cotrol she would have to be put down.My wife and I took Dakota to the class and as Steve was approaching Dakota snapped and bit Steve on the leg. By the way Steve reacted when this happened we knew he knew how to handle her and he was going to have fun doing it.It only took us about 5 minutes to decide to sign up for the class even though it was far from home. We spent 5 Monday nights driving 1hour and 15 minutes each way trying to save our dog's life. Today we have a dog that we can take everywhere. We can have people over into our house and we are the envy of every dog owner in the the neighborhood because our dog is the best behaved. Everyone that knew Dakota before cannot believe that this is the same dog. Many people stop me when I am walking Dakota and ask me how I got my dog to be so good, I tell them all about A-1. It took us four trainers to find Steve, but you are the last trainer we will ever need. Anyone who has any type of dog training concerns should bring their dog to A-1 . Steve I have given you my home phone number and will talk to anybody that wants to know more, I would be glad to do it because we are forever grateful to Steve. Thanks again Ken Magrann and Family and Dakota

Steve has helped us with our standard poodle Caleb. He came to us from another owner virtually untrained and somewhat wild. We had another trainer who helped us minimally. We looked into training with treats, but nobody could tell us when to expect results from this wild dog!! Steve gave us hope. We have worked with him and will continue to do so, as we have seen a great improvement in our dog. Thank you SO much, Steve!!

I would like to heartily recommend Steve Nixon's A1-Total Control classes for anyone interested in training their dog properly. Bradley, my golden Lab Mix, was about a year old when he was found in a wildlife refuge. He probably was dumped their by some uncaring person that did not want to take the time to train him. He was a wild man. I took him to the free class/demonstration at A-1 and it was unbelievable. When we went to the class Bradley would not behave at all. He was in constant motion and always barking etc. He was the worst behaved dog there. Steve kept asking me if I had enough yet. Finally, Steve had enough and took Bradley in front of everyone and in a matter of 5 seconds he was quiet and respectfull. At the end of the class he would not go after any human food or proceed out the door ahead of me. I signed up for the classes immediately. I went through the beginners class twice just to make sure I had it down right. I really mean that I had it down. The class trains you how to train your dog with lots of praise, not treats. I then took the advance class. Bradley is now a dog that I can be proud of and that obeys my commands because he wants to please me. The classes are intense, but the results are amazing. Bradley is now a great, loving dog, that seeks to the right thing to get the praises not treats. Ken Sell, a loyal Steve Nixon suppported and believer. Thanks, Steve.

Steve did a great job with my keeshond.

Me and my dog went to three trainers. However there was a missing piece. I would like to list Steve's aspects of training that i feel are unique and valuable: Initial visit-intensive demonstration with our dog Reasonable rates Flexible schedule Short session duration (five weeks to complete) Lengthy classes (one and a half hours per class) To the point commands Lots of praise for the dog Small group size Teacher familiarity with dog's personality Encouragement for socialization Introduction of variables and distractions Results, the dog as the reward Steve's classes help me to enjoy my dog and we can join more activities within the community. I highly encourage every one to train their dogs. And i found that all the trainers i went too, no one could beat Steve's training. THANK YOU STEVE. A very grateful student

I have been to several trainers and have come to the conclusion that the only number to know is 856 468 8040. Steve's the only guy to know when it comes to dog training. I do believe that my dog would be road pizza by now if I hadn't taken my dog to him. Thank you Steve. signed a grateful K-9 master

Steve, Thanks for your time and energy. After attending your class with my border collie Bailey, I now have a wonderful relationship with my dog. He follows me everywhere, and we are able to spend lots of time together. More importantly, he has calmed down enough to spend time with other members of my family, including my two year old son. The two of them could never be together before, and now we are once again one big happy family. Your training classes taught both Bailey and me how to better respect each other and act in ways we can both benefit from. Once again, thanks, Steve, and I'll be seeing you in the advanced class!! Joe Doyle 856-845-5174

I LOVE STEVE THE BRAIDED DOG TRAINER! I have been taking classes with Steve Nixon at A1 for 6 months now because I am addicted as well as in love with the way my dog behaves because of MY training, on how to train a dog. Steve is a fun, happy go lucky, extremely informative and has really long braids on both sides of his chin which makes him quite interesting to look at. :] Every once in a while I want to pull them. Anyhow the first thing I did before I got my dog was to buy him treats. The 2nd thing I did after starting my classes with A1 was to toss the treats. My dog eats 0 treats. My dog is a 70lb OE sheep dog. I am 120lbs. Though he (Cookie) has been known to knock me down here during a run or when he’s overly excited, my dog is doing a fine job of listening to his commands without treats and believe it or not he still loves me. Steve's classes are very upbeat and inexpensive and Steve is very flexible. Your pet learns immediately how to get along with other animals even cats. Steve lets a little kitty loose every once in a while and the dogs just look at it. I was shocked. I truly expected one of the Dobermans to attack right away but they could care less. AMAZING!!! Sincerely, SB

i am so lucky to find the pet sitters they all go out of there way the owner is great she will stop by more times threw out the day checking on my puppy when i ask for just 3 times a day My puppy and i are glad to have the pet keepers care for my puppy Tiffany my old english sheepdog

Steve is awesome, and thanks to him, so is my dog!

I would like to say that I took my 13 week old, 4 lb Yorkie to A-1 and Steve did a remarkable job training him. My yorkie, Bruno is now 5 months and 5.8 lbs. and he is doing great. People come over and are amazed at things he learned. I highly recomend taking classes with Steve if you want an obedient dog. It works! His classes are friendly, fun and most of all successful. Thanks for all you've done.

Hi! My name is Maryann Wood. I have a Cocker Spaniel puppy named Ziggy. Ziggy was a ten month old nightmare. He was aggressive, he chewed, he failed "potty training", in other words he was a mess. We are currently going through the obedience course and my family and friends are already noticing the difference after only two classes. We changed his food to Nutro natural dog food and stopped all treats. I really think this is the best decision that we made. If you want to talk to me about the school or Teacher Steve, please feel free to call me at (856) 589-3035 after 5:00. We salute Teacher Steve!!!!!

I bought a female boxer puppy 3 months ago, who unfortunately had an unruly personality. She was quite aggressive towards other dogs, and I didn't know how to correct this. While I was shopping at Pet Smart, I saw that they offered obedience classes, so of course I signed up. Unfortunately, after 2 classes, I realized they did not offer the services I required. Any idiot can feed a dog treats. The next day I called Steve. He was friendly, informative, and quite helpful. He invited me to a demonstration class and I was amazed. I signed up for the classes that day. The first class my dog stopped her aggressivness towards other dogs. It brought tears to my eyes. Steve is wonderful. He is the dog whisperer. He has a way with them that is unsurpassed. He is a great and energetic guy, always willing to try a method to help. My dog has done a complete turn around. It's not the dogs fault for acting the way they do, it's the owner. I learned that first hand. Seeing is believing, and I'm proud to say I saw. Steve, you're the man! Thanks sooooooo much. If anyone out there is looking for the perfect trainer Steve is the only one to go to. If anyone would like to contact me with any questions, please feel free to. The name's Sophie...Home#: 856-468-6564/ Cell#: 609-820-0804

I want to take this time to say how grateful I am to Steve for the superior training my dog is receiving. There were many times I wanted to give up on my four-month old Boxer, but after having my dog Sahsa trained at A-1 Total Control, now I am in "TOTAL CONTROL." Believe me, his teaching techniques really work. Thanks again, Steve. Sasha thanks you too. Dottie, 856-241-7556.

Hello, my name is Joanne and my dog's name is Charlie. Charlie is a late starter to Steve's classes, (he is almost 2 years old) do to me wasting valuable time with other so called training classes at various well known and well advertised sites in the Glouster Co. area. I wasted a total of 6 years if I include the time I wasted with my first dog 'Penny'. The methods behind all of the previous training courses were not only ineffective but also in my experience detrimental to the maturity growth and emotional well being of both of my dogs. Also my home was for years disrupted by the inappropriate behavior of two dogs and the subsequent responses from family members. In A-1 Total Control the 'Human' student is taught how to train the 'Animal' student to have a healthy , respectful and rewarding relationship with that animal. Improvement was noticed after just the first class. After the second class , more improvement. And so it continues , better manners, better understanding and a better relationship between me and my dogs. When asked by others why I go to A-1 Total Control I simply answer " Because it works " it is the only dog training that has worked for us in 6 years ! I plan on continuing with Steve's classes at A-1 Total Control because we learn so much each class and never before have I seen the results I see now. If anyone would like to ask me specific questions or receive a reference personally, they can call A-1 Total Control and leave their phone number and I will be happy to speak with them. Sincerely, Joanne Naughton

Hello my name is Nick Marks I have been to Steve's class and I would just like to say from a retired Law Enforcement Officer that Steve's training is of the BEST! I have seen many TRY to be dog trainers but no one can match Steve's way I had purchased a Sheltie for my little girl this dog had no clue what it was doing Steve has given me the tools to help our little new family member we have only taken a few classes so far but I have seen a different puppy in our home my wife is dumfounded after the 1st class I had come home and showed her what our puppy has learned I am very happy with Steve's training some people have a nerve to say that Steve's way is BAD I say this CALL ME AT MY HOME AND WE CAN CHAT ABOUT IT! (856) 384-0486 Steve keep up the great work and Scruffy and I are looking forward to our next class Again if anyone has a bad comment about Steve or his way of teaching please feel free to contact me (856) 384-0486 Steve good luck and God Bless.......... Nick Marks & Family.... :)

My name is Joe, and I am a dog owner who adopted an unruley pitbull from a local animal shelter. This dog was out of control as she chewed $200.00 boots, a couch arm, and other various nickel and dime items around my house plus she was very dog aggressive. I would like to mention Steve's expertise in the field of dog training. I brought my dog to his place of business not expecting him to make a difference because this dog was beyond reasoning with, and was impossible to train. I would feed her treats and all that did was satisfy her hunger and not provide obedience. Twenty minutes after I walked in the door, my dog was not jumping, going after other animals,(even Steves cat) and most suprisingly, the dog refused to eat from a plate with assorted table food on it. I was amazed. I immediatley enrolled Patches(my dog) into his academy, and I worked very hard in the training process. It has been two months later and the relationship I have with my dog now is beautiful, she is not only my pet, but a much loved member of my family. It cost more money to replace damaged items than to pay for the training. Steve is a person who is dedicated to the cause, and will even go the extra mile to ensure that his techniques work. When I had difficulty in the sessions, he allowed me to stay for a whole other class at no extra expense, and he even allowed me to borrow expensive equipment that he personally owned for the special needs that my dog required. Steve's classes are not a babysitting service, and he himself will not train your dog, he trains the dog owner to train the dog which is the most effective way because the dog owner is the one who has to live with the dog, but most importantly,I now have the ability to train future dogs that I will own, and I just wanted to thank him, and to show him my appreciation I want to be considered as a reference for future customers. I can be reached at 856 742-0876 or 856 217-3602. Thank you Steve, and I plan to attend your advanced class in the near future so I can acquire further knowledge in dog training that I can use on Patches, and other dogs that I plan to own. Also, if there are negative things said about Steve, call the references first thats why were writing, or better yet, attend his FREE DEMONSTRATIONS where he will provide instant results. The difference betwen Steve and other schools is that a customer will need only attend his class ONE TIME as opposed to schools like Petsmart's where their approach is aimed at correcting everything but THE PROBLEM. Nip the problem in the butt before its too late!!!

After adopting a very sweet but dog aggressive Shar-Pei/boxer mix, Libby, me and my husband attended Steves training classes. We had taken our other dog, Luke, to Pet Smart for his initial training. He learned the basics but he only listens when a treat is available. We did not want to do the same type of ineffective training with Libby. It took a few classes but by the end of the training, Libby was playing with the other dogs, listening well, and having fun. It was so great to finally gain some control over her and not be afraid to walk her in public. With Steve's help, she is a great addition to our family. E. Renshaw

Steve, You are a great trainer. My dog has never behaved better - i will definitely tell my friends to go to you for training their dogs! thanks!!!! patty

We have a dog, cuddles (5) part german sheppard, lab, and dalmation. Cuddles was just a puppy when we got her. She was sooooooo bad we didn't know what to do with her. We decided to look in the phone book for dog training. Thank goodness. Steve taught us and our dog how to behave. Cuddles went from chewing up our house to being one of the best dogs I have ever seen. She became so good we adopted another dog,a pitbull. We only took her to steves class twice so far and she is already wonderful. We highly recommend Steve to train you and your dog. You will never be sorry. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. -Anthony and kelly- 856/853-1794

We would like to thank Steve for teaching us how to gain control of our dog Jack. We brought him to Petsmart for his first training course which lasted eight weeks, big mistake. Jack learned more from the first session at A1 Total Control than he did the entire eight weeks of the previous training, and so did we. Steve taught us the proper and most effective way to handle a hyper 7 month old puppy. We are very pleased with the progress of our dog after completing the basic training course. The classes were fun, Steve always kept things interesting and now we have a very manageable,well behaved 80lb. Labrador puppy! We plan to go back for the advanced training course. See ya soon, Steve!

I fell in love with our 1 1/2 yr old shepard mix Roxy when I found her at the shelter. She seemed so sweet. I was planning on taking her to training classes at PetSmart. Once we brought her home, I realized her behavior was out of control. On our first walk she practically dislocated my shoulder from all of her pulling, she tried to attack my cats, and finally the worst, she bit me...hard...on several occasions. PetSmart will not allow any aggressive dogs in the class (which I find ridiculous because aggressive dogs need the most training). The general consensus was that a dog that bites should be thrown away. I was feeling quite hopeless. Anyway, luck was on my side because I met Steve while we were walking in the park. He took pity on me and invited me to his introductory class. After that first class I was sold. We have now completed the six-week course and I have seen amazing improvements. When we walk now, Roxy stays by my side and I have not been bitten in weeks. Plus she comes, sits, stands, lays down, heals, stays out of the trash, doesn't jump on the furniture, the list goes on and on... It has been a lot of hard work but totally worth it. She still has issues but we are working through them and plan to repeat the class (Steve only charges $50 if you want to take the class again). Roxy is becoming the family member I always wanted. I will be in class again on the evening of March 18, 2003 if anyone wants to come by and see. THANK YOU STEVE!!! Jeannette Freedman; Swedesboro, NJ

Steve, I have only been to a couple lessons so far and I am seeing a great change in my dog already!! I will continue my classes and then write back but yet so far me and my dog Scooby are very grateful!!

I never imagined my dog could be so well behaved. All it took was Steve's classes which trained not only my dog - but me!!! They were great. Thanks Steve! patty

Because of Steve, I am able to take my dog out without him trying to attack every dog around him. I would have never believed that a dog could still be trained at the age of 2. I swear by his ways and commend anyone with a dog to go see Steve. Thank you Steve for all your help! Sincerely, Mike and Kristi Ertz Manuta, NJ

After seeing the dramatic change in my sister's Rottie's behavior after training with Steve, I decided to take my rescued Maltipoo (Frosty) to A1 Total Control as well. (My sister had tried two other trainers before, without any results) Frosty had spent an estimated 1 year on the streets of Camden before he was rescued by an animal welfare group. I adopted him about 9 months before taking him to Steve and tried bribing him to behave with treats. His behavior didn't change one bit BUT, he got a bit chubby. My 3 year old Frosty was extremely unruly. At bath-time he defeated me and two groomers, used the living room for potty, pulled at the leash, jumped on every body, chewed my new leather couch, chased the cats, picked fights with my other dog, ran away once (thank goodness two girls caught him before a car smashed him!) and was so out of control my own mother stopped coming over to visit as much. Even though he was driving me insane, I loved my doggie to much to turn him back over to the shelter, so I took him to Steve. After the first class, Frosty's behavior changed dramatically. He stopped barking ferociously at company, stopped soiling in the house and stopped chasing the cats. After the second lesson, he no longer pulled at his leash. Instead, he stays right by my left side when we walk through the neighborhood, which we do A LOT more now!. He also stopped fighting with Elmo (other doggie). After three weeks, my neighbors started to compliment me on how well behaved he was and my mother was amazed at the changes....so was I! Frosty is now a VERY WELL BEHAVED boy and a HAPPIER boy! He and I are much closer now and he is an absolute JOY of a compaion. I am so totally impressed that I just signed Elmo up for classes as well, and I'm getting new carpets! Steve taught me how to train my dog and I firmly believe he saved his life in the process. Feel free to contact me if you're unsure about training with your dog. I'd love to tell you more........468-4805. Debbie, proud dog owner/trainer.

I just finished my first session with my Sheba Inu (a very aggressive, hyper breed) and am still amazed at the change in his behavior. At my first session, my hands were raw from holding him back, trying to get him to sit. He was not very friendly with other animals and didn't like people or animals approaching me. Now, when we go for walks, he stays by my side, walks at my pace, and not a peep when other dogs or people walk by. I whole heartedly believe in Steve's techiques. I think the biggest differnce is Steve encourages you to reward your pet with affection and not treats and I think that is why it is so effective. I plan to take my dogs through the class again, to help socialize him more. Steve shows genuine concern for the dogs and their owners, I enjoyed going to class each week! And more importantly, I will now enjoy amy years with my well beahved, softie, a huge cahnge for the little freak I took in to A1! THANKS STEVE!!!!

Steve, I brought our now 2 year old Chocolate Lab to train with you when she was just 12 weeks old. Last night, I acheived a new level of bragging rights about Molly. Besides following her normal list of commands (sit, lay down, come, etc.) to the letter, I was able to use your methods to train Molly to stay within the confinds of our yard with a command and to NEVER go into the street. After a late night walk, Molly saw a stray cat in a neighbors yard. I gave her the command that releases her of her commands (For those of you who don't know, it's like telling a child to "go play") and she took off in hot persuit. After some deeking and dodging, the cat made a b-line for the street with Molly about 2 feet behind. As the cat entered the street, Molly stopped dead at the curb. Truly amazing. A dog in hot persuit of a cat stopping at the curb because she's been taught not to go into the street? Unheard of. Everyone asks where I had her trained. "A-1 Total Control" is my reply every time. Thanks. Jim T.

• Sister Barbara, osf
• A Grateful Student
• Edward and Susan Champion
• Pitman Animal Hospital
• Carol Renzi (Milo too)
• Puppy Playpen
• Mrs. Eileen Field
• Kathy Buganski
• Shawna Ulrick
• Roxann Cassidy