Our team | The Hachi Way

Our team

The people behind the method. Every Hachi Way trainer is trained by Diona and held to the same standard.

The Hachi Way is a methodology and a small, growing network of trainers who deliver it. Every trainer here has been trained by Diona Chu and selected to carry the credential. They run their own practices, but they share one method and one standard, so an owner walking into any of their sessions knows what to expect.

You do not have to pick a trainer. When you get in touch, Diona matches you to the right person herself, based on your dog, your location, and what you need.

Diona playing with a client's Labrador on a Docklands street while the family watches

The trainers

Founder

Diona Chu

Melbourne, and online worldwide

I am Diona Chu, the founder of The Hachi Way. I have spent more than fifteen years working with dogs across veterinary science, early childhood education, zoos, wildlife reserves, assistance dog programs, and private pet training.

I work with motivated owners who have tried multiple trainers and ended up with a dog who still feels like a project. The dogs themselves are usually not the problem. The household has gaps that no amount of obedience work has closed. That is the work I do, in person across Melbourne and online anywhere in the world.

Reactive and aggressive dogs
Puppy raising
Neurodivergent owners
Multi-dog households

Hachi Way Trainer

Auveen Twomey

Melbourne's inner suburbs

Auveen is the first Hachi Way Trainer. She came to dog training from a background in primary-school teaching, which shows in how she works with families: patient, clear, and unusually good with children and the dogs growing up alongside them.

She covers Melbourne's inner suburbs in person, with the same methodology, credential, and standard you would get from Diona.

Leash reactivity
Rescue and adolescent dogs
Puppy foundations
Families with children

Hachi Way Trainer

Kellidie Bemmerl

Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley

Kellidie is the first Hachi Way Trainer outside Melbourne. She trained with Diona through her mentorship and The PACE Intensive, and came to the work through her own dog: seven years with a reactive dog who now joins cafes, family outings and adventures around Shepparton. She is calm, practical and honest, and she keeps the training simple enough to fit into a real day.

She covers Shepparton, Kialla, Mooroopna and the wider Goulburn Valley in person, with the same methodology, credential, and standard you would get from Diona.

Puppy foundations
Adolescent dogs
Anxious dogs
Reactive dogs

Advisor

KK Chu

San Francisco

KK advises The Hachi Way on brand, the website, and where the business goes next. She built thehachiway.com alongside Diona and looks after the design, the reading library, and how people find us in the first place.

Based in San Francisco, which is why The Hachi Way is awake in two time zones.

Brand and design
Strategy

Administrative assistant

Billie

The inbox, the calendar, and the phone

Billie runs the admin for The Hachi Way. Enquiries, the calendar, booking confirmations and reminders, invoices, and the follow-up after a session. If you have written to us, Billie has read it, and Billie is the reason you heard back quickly.

The job is to keep the trainers in front of dogs rather than in front of a screen. Questions about times, fees, what to bring, or where to park go to Billie first. Anything about your dog goes to your trainer.

Enquiries and replies
Bookings and reminders
Invoices
Client follow-up

Currently in Melbourne and the Goulburn Valley, growing through 2026 and beyond. Not nearby? Train online with Diona, anywhere in the world, or join the waitlist so we know where to train the next trainer.

Ready to start?

Tell me about your dog and I will match you to the right starting point, in person in Melbourne or online from anywhere.

Train with me or take the free assessment