About the Author & Instructor
Melissa Berryman
Former animal officer. Author. Over 30 years of teaching dog owners how to communicate with their dogs — and navigate a human world safely.
Clarion Review — Five Stars
People Training for Good Dogs
IPPY Award — Silver Medal
Independent Publisher Book Awards
The Story Behind the Book
Melissa Berryman shared many of the common misperceptions about dogs before she became the animal control officer for the town of Falmouth from 1993 to 1998. Those five years changed everything about how she thought about dogs and their owners.
She witnessed firsthand how devastating society's entrenched beliefs about dog behavior were for communities — and how many animals were unnecessarily put down in situations that were completely avoidable. She now believes there are no bad dogs, just untrained owners.
That experience led her to start a training program called People Training for Good Dogs, and eventually to write the book of the same name. The program is built on two powerful analogies: defensive driving and horsemanship.
Just as a defensive driver anticipates hazards before they happen, a skilled dog owner reads situations and steers their dog safely through a human world. And just as you can train a horse without being able to ride it — or having your family ride it — handling skills must be learned by every person who interacts with the dog, not just the one who attended a class.
With over 30 years of teaching, Melissa leans heavily on communication: learning to read and respond to what dogs are actually saying, rather than projecting human meaning onto their behavior.
"Society has set people up to fail. It's not just that people are being ignorant. It's the way we craft dogs as a companion and romanticize them."
The Three Types of Dogs
Melissa identifies three pack positions that shape how every dog thinks and behaves. Most people have experience with only one — and that limits their skills with all the others.
"Privates"
Eager to please and unlikely to question authority. Most people choose this type — but even low-ranking dogs can't always be trusted in every situation.
"Generals"
Believe their role is to be in charge and protect the group. They require an owner who is always a firm leader and can be more challenging for the untrained handler.
"Flight Dogs"
Nervous around newcomers and need reassurance from their owner, along with repetition of positive experiences over time.
"If we're only exposed to the lowest-ranking dogs, the ones who can't wait to do anything for us, then our skills and abilities are really low." — Melissa Berryman
From Students
"You can spot a Melissa trainee a mile away because we all do the same thing. When we meet dogs we pat our thigh, we talk in a high voice and say "good girl.""
— Annie Holden, Falmouth
"Really the training is for you, not the dog. The dog is programmed to do what dogs do. People need to understand that they can't humanize dogs and that they have individual and unique needs as a species."
— Debra Cusolito, Falmouth
"Her ideas challenge what most owners have heard and learned before, but her arguments make sense. Anyone who now has a dog or is contemplating getting one will benefit from reading this book. Anyone who owns a 'problem' dog needs to read it right away."
— Cheryl Hibbard, Clarion
As featured in the Cape Cod Times — "Many dogs are simply misunderstood" by Laurie Higgins