The long way round
In 2014, my family’s Akita was put down. That is why I became a dog trainer. The methodology is named for him, and for the famous Akita who waited.
Relationship-first dog training
A dog you can take anywhere.
It starts with understanding the dog in front of you, not commanding them. Reactivity, puppy raising, the teenage stage, all taught through the relationship. In Melbourne and online worldwide. Pick where you are starting.
New here? Take the free two-minute assessment, read the methodology, or get the free primer.
- 15+ years
- Across zoos, wildlife, assistance dogs, and households
- 240+
- Five-star client reviews as Diona The Trainer
- BVSc · MEd
- Veterinary science and early-childhood education
The method, in two ideas
The walk you cut short, the visit you turn down, the lead wound twice around your hand. That is a dog over its waterline, not a bad dog. Bring it down and the world opens up: the cafe, the loose lead past another dog, the dog who comes along instead of staying home. You stop managing your dog and start understanding them.
The waterline
Every dog has a baseline level of arousal, and triggers push it up. The work is not managing the waves. It is bringing the waterline down, and learning to read where your dog sits at any given moment.
PACE: the four modes
A dog’s day is built from four modes, each with its own expectation, cue, and boundary. They are held equally. When the modes blur, the household stops working.
For owners
Work through it with a Hachi Way trainer.
Reading your dog is a skill you can be taught, fastest alongside a trainer who lives in the method.
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Private consultations
One-to-one, in your home or online.
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The four-week program
A structured month that hands the reading skill back to you.
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Online puppy program
Nine weeks of foundations, anywhere in the world.
In their words
What changes when you train this way
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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Reading the dog
Diona helped us train our two reactive dachshunds. She has a wealth of knowledge regarding dog body language and how to implement training methods correctly to help your dog learn new behaviour. No one has been able to effectively explain dog body language and what it meant to us better than Diona. She has been life changing for us after our struggle with training our dogs for over a year using other trainers and methods.
Ai W. · 2022
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Understanding over commands
Working with Diona has been a game changer. She's helped us truly understand our reactive German Shepherd, her triggers, body language, and what she needs to feel safe and succeed. This deeper understanding has made walks so much smoother and has improved our overall relationship with our GSD.
Tim D. · 2025
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Behaviour without commands
My 22 month old stubborn Samoyed is now a dream to deal with. No longer reactive to other dogs and people, no longer pulls on the lead, no more incessant barking, no more pacing. I now have a settled, calm and non reactive Samoyed who responds to my body language before a command is uttered.
Foodie G. · 2023
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Bonding over obedience
Diona's care and understanding of dog behaviour took us from being pulled down the road, with Peanut crying and shrieking at any dog he saw, to walking beside us and choosing us over other dogs. She helped us with bonding and trust, transforming our relationship.
Lily C. · 2025
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The household, not just the dog
Diona was my third trainer I resorted to for my over reactive dog. Diona quickly realised there was much more going on at home than I had truthfully opened up about. Now I have a dog that is absolutely a pleasure to have inside the home. Walks have become more fun and less stressful, reactivity has diminished.
Ozlem G. · 2023
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The why behind the method
Her patience, deep knowledge, and structured approach made all the difference in training our puppy, Bagel. Diona explained everything in detail, ensuring we understood not just the how but also the why behind dog training. Her guidance gave us the confidence to understand our puppy's needs.
Shelton L. · 2025
240+ five-star reviews of Diona's practice as Diona The Trainer. Read more reviews
Where this came from, and where it goes
Train in the Hachi Way.
The PACE Intensive is the practitioner path: online theory paired with in-person shadowing in Melbourne. Join a method built to outlast any single trainer.
Free assessment
Where is your dog’s waterline?
A two-minute read of where your dog sits today, with one thing to try this week. No charge.