Private consultation
A 90-minute initial consult. We walk through the history, watch the dog at home, run a behavioural assessment, and leave with a program.
In person & online ยท Melbourne
Online dog training in Melbourne
Relationship-first dog training in Melbourne, in person across the inner west and online across the whole city.
Melbourne is where the practice began. In person, Hachi Way trainers cover the inner west, Newport, Williamstown, Yarraville and the surrounding suburbs, and the whole city is served online.
How the work is different
Read the dog first. Command it second.
The first thing taught is not a command list. It is how to read your dog, and how to run a day built from the four modes, PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM and EXPLORE, held in balance.
Trainers in Melbourne
In person across the inner west, online citywide
Diona Chu and Auveen Twomey cover Melbourne's inner west in person, Newport, Williamstown, Yarraville and around, and the whole city is served online. The directory matches you to the right one.
Other areas: Online, worldwide .
What you can book
The four-week program
A structured month that calibrates your timing and hands the reading skill back to you, with video review between sessions.
Online puppy program
Nine weeks of foundations, set early, so the household works from the start. Runs anywhere.
In their words
What owners say after the work
Real reviews of Diona's work. Not the nice-trainer ones, the ones that describe the shift: owners who learned to read their dog, and dogs who got calmer once their needs were met.
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Cycles and the four modes
She is like no other trainer and really helps you understand the cycle of reactivity and taps into the cycles of what we need to do to help you achieve a calm dog that focuses on you. Following her training cycles helps our two dachshunds so much. If you keep it up consistently the results will come.
H Church · 2024
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The innate desire to be good
I liked that the approach is based on the dog's desire to be good, and on educating the owners to provide an environment in which the dog can be relaxed and happy. Our training program was immediately effective, especially improving walks with our pulling and reactive dog. It has changed our world.
Helen · 2023
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Knowing your dog deeply
We had been through a few different trainers and specialists before we met Diona. We've always loved our dog but now we know our dog on a much deeper level. Through Diona's program we've learnt to have more fun and enjoy our dog as well as develop a deeper understanding of her behaviour and triggers. Life changing.
Lucy R. · 2025
235+ five-star reviews of Diona's practice as Diona The Trainer. Read more reviews
Questions
Frequently asked
Do you offer in-person dog training in Melbourne?
Yes. Diona Chu and Auveen Twomey cover Melbourne's inner west in person, Newport, Williamstown, Yarraville and the surrounding suburbs, and the whole city is served online.
What kind of dogs do you work with?
Reactive dogs on lead, puppies raised once and properly, adolescent dogs whose training stopped working, and multi-dog households. The method is the same across all of them: read the dog, set the structure, teach the handler.
What does it cost?
Pricing is on the booking page. Home-visit call-out fees apply in some suburbs and are confirmed before booking. The free assessment is the easiest place to start.
Start here
Not sure where to begin?
Take the free waterline assessment. Ten questions, two minutes, and a plain-language read of where your dog sits today and what to work on first.