# Diona The Trainer

> Melbourne dog behaviour specialist. Private training, online puppy program, and trainer cohort programs built on the Still Waters methodology.

Diona Chu is a Melbourne-based dog trainer with a Bachelor's in Veterinary Science and a Master's in Early Childhood Education. She has 15+ years of experience across zoos, wildlife reserves, assistance dog programs, and pet training. She launched her own business in 2022.

Her methodology, Still Waters, is built around the PACE framework (PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, EXPLORE) and the principle that a dog whose needs are met and body language is understood behaves well without constant commands. This approach is not pulled from a textbook. It comes from cross-industry experience that no other trainer combines in the same way.

Diona works in-person in Newport and Docklands, Melbourne. Virtual consultations are available worldwide.

Her dog Murphy, a certified assistance dog and black Labrador, is used as a working partner in reactive dog sessions.

## Services

### Private Dog Training
- Price: AUD $400 per 90-minute initial consultation
- For dogs 12 weeks and older
- In person: Newport and Docklands, Melbourne
- Virtual: available worldwide
- Follow-up work is the PACE Program: four weekly sessions plus video feedback between them, paid as a package. $1,600 incl. GST with Diona ($2,000 all up including the $400 consultation, which is the first part of the program; stop after the consultation and $400 is all you pay), or $1,000 to $1,400 for the four weeks with a Hachi Way associate trained and supervised by Diona. No hourly rate is quoted and there are no one-off follow-up sessions. Payment plans: two instalments of $810 or three of $545.
- Payment plans: 2 or 3 instalments (+$20 admin per extra instalment). Peak times (weekends, weekdays after 3pm) +10%. Home visits carry a call-out fee. 48-hour cancellation policy.
- FAQ (fees, booking, cancellations, method): https://www.dionathetrainer.com/faq
- Two dogs from the same household: $50 extra per session
- Enquiry form: /start.html
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/private-dog-training.html

Most clients have been to two or three trainers before Diona. The work addresses the nervous system regulation underneath behaviour, not just the behaviour itself.

What she works on most: leash reactivity (barking and lunging at dogs, people, bikes, cars), anxiety and fear-based behaviour, resource guarding, dogs who cannot settle at home or in cafes, pulling on lead, adolescent dogs who stop listening, households with multiple dogs not getting along.

### Good Puppy Blueprint: Online Puppy Training Program
- Price: AUD $440
- 9-week self-paced online program
- For puppies under 12 weeks old (ideally started before puppy comes home)
- Includes two personal 20-minute video check-ins with Diona
- Access: 105 days (15 weeks) from enrolment
- Available worldwide
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/puppy-training.html

Built around the PACE framework. Teaches CALM, PLAY, EXPLORE, and ANCHOR from week one of a puppy's life.

### The PACE Intensive
- Cohort program for working and aspiring dog trainers (replaces the previous 1-on-1 mentorship)
- Two parts: Part 1 Theory (6 online group sessions) + Part 2 Shadowing (8 in-person sessions in Melbourne)
- Pricing: Part 1 AUD $1,750, Part 2 AUD $2,400, Bundle AUD $3,800 (save $350 on the bundle)
- Hand-holding add-on: optional 1-on-1 coaching, AUD $1,200 per 4-hour pack
- Payment plans: two equal instalments per part, paid in advance (half at enrolment, half before midpoint of that part)
- International students welcome (Part 1 is fully online; travel to Melbourne required for Part 2)
- Selective intake: application required, followed by a 15-minute fit call. Small cohort.
- Cohort 1 is underway (started late July 2026). The Cohort 2 waitlist is open; joining it gives early access before applications open publicly.
- Waitlist: /pace-intensive.html
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/pace-intensive.html

A structured cohort program. Theory delivered online to the whole group, practical shadowing in Melbourne with Diona's real client cases. WhatsApp support included throughout.

### Therapy dogs: Dog at Work (for professionals)
- For psychologists, teachers, occupational therapists, counsellors and practice owners who want their own dog working beside them
- Therapy dogs are not regulated in Australia: no legal definition, register or accreditation (the Disability Discrimination Act covers assistance animals only). Workplaces and insurers ask for evidence, not a licence
- Built on the PACE Program: $2,000 all up over five weeks ($400 consultation, then four weekly sessions with video feedback for $1,600). With a Hachi Way associate the four weeks are $1,000 to $1,400
- The Dog at Work pack is included: a signed letter of assessment, a workplace risk register built on the Victorian Department of Education template and the Animal Therapies Ltd code of conduct, a one-page dog-at-work policy, and a filmed settle in the actual workplace
- The dog is trained to live beside a working person and act without being cued (CALM under the desk, ANCHOR through a corridor), because the handler cannot cue a dog mid-session and most schools and clinics do not allow food in the room
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/therapy-dogs
- Assistance dog vs therapy dog: an assistance dog is task-trained for one person with a disability and has public access under the DDA 1992 (Queensland adds the GHAD Act; Victoria has no state scheme); a therapy dog supports other people through a handler and has no legal status or access rights; emotional support dogs have no status in Australia. Diona does not train assistance dogs for public access; she raises and assesses the dog underneath and refers to trusted assistance dog trainers. Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/assistance-dog-vs-therapy-dog

### Teach Your Dog to Switch Off (paid self-paced course)
- Price: AUD $49
- Format: Online self-paced course on Thinkific. Four modules, 13 lessons, readable text lessons with real demonstration clips. Roughly a weekend's work.
- For dogs that pace, whine, follow their owner room to room, and can't settle, especially in the evening. Teaches settling as a skill: a proper rest spot, the one rule that makes settling stick, rest built into the day, and a settle on cue anywhere (the cafe test).
- Includes a CALM setup guide and a 7-day settle tracker as downloads. Digital course with instant access, non-refundable for change of mind (Australian Consumer Law rights unaffected).
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/switch-off.html
- Enrolment: https://dionathetrainer.thinkific.com/products/courses/teach-your-dog-to-switch-off

### The Reactive Dog Reset (paid self-paced course)
- Price: AUD $129
- Format: Online self-paced course on Thinkific. Six modules of readable lessons with real demonstration clips, a cheat sheet per module, and a six-week schedule.
- The system Diona runs in the first weeks of a private reactivity program: reframe (the two reasons dogs react), read the dog (waterline, five states, body language), lower the baseline first (rest, cycles instead of walks), the four PACE modes, stop feeding the reaction (eye contact and the three Ts), then work the trigger.
- Includes The Waterline Workbook ($25 value) free inside. Digital course with instant access, non-refundable for change of mind (Australian Consumer Law rights unaffected).
- For owners of reactive, anxious, or over-aroused dogs, especially outside Melbourne or not ready for private sessions. Dogs with a bite history should do it alongside an in-person professional.
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/reactive-dog-reset.html
- Enrolment: https://dionathetrainer.thinkific.com/products/courses/the-reactive-dog-reset

### Selective Hearing (paid PDF guide)
- Price: AUD $10 (inclusive of GST)
- Format: Eight-chapter PDF guide for dog owners, around 6,000 words
- Delivery: Instant download after Stripe checkout via thank-you page; email receipt also sent
- The philosophical reframe Diona uses in the first ten minutes of every private session, written down
- Argues that most "misbehaviour" isn't misbehaviour. Dogs are unfulfilled, under-rested, given too much freedom too early, or asked to perform when there's nothing left in the tank. The problem isn't method, it's diagnosis.
- Chapters: 1) Selective hearing, why owners' standard explanation is wrong, 2) Why the obedience-first frame was inherited from working dog contexts and doesn't fit family dogs, 3) A toddler not a colleague, the central analogy and the waterline image, 4) The overtired dog, sleep debt as the most common diagnosis, 5) Too much freedom too soon, freedom debt, 6) The five needs underneath every behaviour (rest, engagement, being a dog, brain work, clarity), 7) Five concrete lens shifts to use tomorrow morning, 8) Where this leads, PACE and Diona's other offerings
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/selective-hearing.html

### The Waterline Workbook (paid PDF)
- Price: AUD $25 (inclusive of GST)
- Format: Seven day fillable PDF for dog owners
- Delivery: Instant download after Stripe checkout; email copy with download link also sent
- Designed for owners of reactive, anxious, or restless dogs who want to read their dog before reacting
- Includes: Day Zero baseline page, seven daily logs (sleep, PACE modes, triggers, body language), trigger log, end-of-week reflection, two honest reflection questions
- Built around the Still Waters waterline model
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/waterline-workbook.html

### Flight-Ready (paid PDF guide)
- Price: AUD $49 (inclusive of GST)
- Format: Ten-chapter PDF guide, around 5,000 words, for owners relocating overseas with a dog (or flying a dog into Australia)
- Delivery: Instant download after Stripe checkout via thank-you page; email copy of the link also sent
- Thesis: the flight is the smallest part; the dog is trained for the plane and moved to a life it has never seen. Prepare the landing, not the leaving.
- Chapters: 1) The flight is the smallest part, 2) The crate is a bedroom, not a box (busiest room, never covered, the night the door closes, moving the crate, airport noise, no sedation, the second crate for a cabin leg), 3) Where is your dog landing? (audit of toilet, transport, home, weather, dog culture, alone time, sounds), 4) Worked example: the toilet (grass to concrete, toilet cue, turf square fade, weeing to empty versus marking), 5) Worked example: getting around (outings not walks, lifts, escalators, trams, the subway bag, the car-only life), 6) Worked example: the home (apartment, the window, no dog park in week one, alone time), 7) The people holding the lead (three rules on the fridge, flight day), 8) The timeline (eight weeks to flight day), 9) Landing (first week, three things to watch, the mirror for dogs arriving in Australia), 10) What Diona can do from here
- Routes dogs that pull or react on busy streets to hands-on training rather than teaching lead corrections in writing
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/flight-ready

### On-Edge Audit (free)
- Free interactive self-audit for owners of dogs who never quite settle
- Pinpoints which of the four PACE modes is missing or weak in the dog's daily routine
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/on-edge-audit.html

### Gift options
- Selective Hearing PDF gift: AUD $10. Sent to recipient by email with personal note.
- Selective Hearing + The Waterline Workbook bundle gift: AUD $25 (saves $10 vs standalone). Both PDFs sent together.
- $200 Gift Voucher: applies to a first private session or the Online Puppy Program. Recipient pays the balance.
- $400 Gift Voucher: covers a first private session or the Online Puppy Program in full. No balance owed.
- All vouchers valid 3 years from purchase under Australian gift card law.
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/gift.html

### Breeder Partnership: Good Puppy Blueprint
- Standard partnership: AUD $160 per puppy (vs $440 individual retail price). 65% off.
- Premium Live Support add-on: AUD $600 per litter. Two live group Q&A sessions with families, around week 7 and week 9 of the puppies' lives.
- Payment: One payment per litter, made before puppies go home, activates program access for all families.
- Free Birth-to-Hand-Over development guide included
- Editable Breeder Toolkit for handover packs, website, and emails
- Available worldwide
- Application form: /breeders-apply.html
- Page: https://www.dionathetrainer.com/for-breeders.html

## Methodology: Still Waters

The Still Waters methodology organises a dog's day into four modes called PACE.

**PLAY.** Full engagement between dog and handler. Tug, food play, toy play, body play. Where bond gets built and excitement burns off in a way that pulls the dog toward the handler, not the environment. PLAY has a start cue ("ready") and end cue ("finish"). If a trigger appears during PLAY, foot goes on the lead, no tugging, and the handler waits for the dog to de-escalate before resuming.

**ANCHOR.** Structured walking. Short lead, specific position, dog's brain on the handler rather than the environment. Taught using clock positions: 9:00 is the sweet spot; 10:00 means the dog is creeping ahead (pivot); 11:00 means too far ahead (gentle upward pop on lead). ANCHOR comes last, after PLAY, CALM, and EXPLORE are established.

**CALM.** Rest on the handler's terms. Usually in a crate or on a tether. Only a settled dog gets out. An adult dog can manage up to three hours. A puppy needs 18–20 hours of CALM out of every 24. Demanding behaviour (barking, whining, scratching) gets nothing. Settled state gets them out.

**EXPLORE.** Being a dog, within reason. Sniffing, pottering, watching. Usually with a light indoor leash dragging on the floor. Low arousal is the rule. If EXPLORE tips into silliness, the dog goes back into CALM or PLAY.

The modes have hard edges on purpose. They do not blur. A dog in PLAY does not get treats as distraction when a trigger appears. A dog in CALM does not get released because it looks excited.

**The waterline model.** Every dog has a baseline level of arousal. Triggers push it up. Whether a dog reacts depends on where the waterline was sitting before the trigger arrived, not on the trigger itself. Training is not about managing reactions. It is about bringing the baseline waterline down so triggers stop causing eruptions. CALM does a lot of that work, but only as one of four co-equal modes a dog needs in balance.

**Cycles, not walks.** A day is built from cycles: dog comes out of CALM, straight to toilet (EXPLORE), into PLAY to burn the edge off, into EXPLORE or ANCHOR depending on stage, back into CALM. Three or four cycles across a day. Duration shifts by life stage. The order and expectations do not change. Standard "walks" are replaced with structured cycles for reactive dogs until the dog has the regulation to handle an unstructured walk.

## Qualifications and background

- Bachelor's in Veterinary Science
- Master's in Early Childhood Education
- 15+ years across zoos, wildlife reserves, assistance dog programs, and pet training
- Business launched 2022
- 240+ five-star Google reviews
- 3,000+ dogs worked with

## Contact and location

- Website: https://www.dionathetrainer.com
- Email: happydogs@dionathetrainer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dionathetrainer
- In-person location: Newport and Docklands, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Virtual: worldwide
- ABN: 54 766 785 542

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/): Audience-first overview that routes dog owners, breeders, and trainers to the right services
- [For Dog Owners](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/dog-owners.html): Hub for dog owners, with private training for behaviour problems (dogs 12 weeks and older) and the online puppy program
- [About Diona](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/about.html): Diona Chu's background: veterinary science, early childhood education, 15+ years with animals, and how the Still Waters methodology developed
- [Private Dog Training](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/private-dog-training.html): One-on-one training for reactive and anxious dogs
- [Puppy Training](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/puppy-training.html): Good Puppy Blueprint online program
- [The PACE Intensive](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/pace-intensive.html): Trainer cohort program
- [For Breeders](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/for-breeders.html): Breeder partnership program
- [Blog Index](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/): Methodology essays and case studies
- [How to stop a reactive dog](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/reactive-dog-training.html): The main reactive dog training guide. Reactivity is arousal, not character. Two underlying reasons dogs react: frustration (a dog that values other dogs more than its owner and is held back by the lead) and fear (a dog that feels trapped on a tight lead). The approach: lower the baseline (rest, less freedom, structured cycles instead of trigger-heavy walks), stop feeding the moment with eye contact, talk, touch or treats, then once arousal is down deliberately work the dog towards triggers and coach a better decision (for frustration, become more interesting than the trigger; for fear, advocate for the dog). Managed and reduced, not cured. Every dog can bite when pushed past its limit. Hub page linking the eight guides below.
- [Why does my dog growl at strangers?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/dog-growling-at-strangers.html): The growl is a request for space, not an attack, and is never punished (removing the warning builds a dog that skips to the snap). Nearly always fear underneath, often specific to people outside the dog's early picture of normal humans. Whether discomfort becomes a growl depends on the baseline. In the moment: make space, stay neutral (no reassurance, no scolding), ask strangers to ignore the dog. Visitors at home: CALM instead of forced greetings. No treat-luring by strangers; a lured fearful dog is in conflict.
- [Why does my dog pull on the leash?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/dog-pulls-on-leash.html): Pulling is not strength, stubbornness or dominance. The walk has never been clearly defined (a blur of sniffing and travelling with no boundaries), and the dog is too aroused to process it, so it executes its own plan at its own speed. Fix: split the walk into two modes with clean starts and ends, ANCHOR (travelling with a human on a loose lead, the dog processes and chooses to stay) and EXPLORE (sniffing on a long line, low arousal); wait for calm before the door opens; keep the lead loose as default, one clean action instead of negotiating tugs. No-pull harnesses reduce force but teach nothing; there is no best tool, only the right tool for this dog and this handler. Lunging at other dogs is reactivity, a different problem.
- [How much does dog behaviour training cost in Melbourne?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/dog-behaviour-training-cost-melbourne.html): Melbourne price landscape for behaviour help (group classes $30 to $60 a week, private trainers $150 to $250 an hour, behaviour programs $1,500 to $2,500 as a package, veterinary behaviourist $600 to $900 first consult plus medication, board and train $2,000 to $5,000). The hourly rate is the wrong comparison; what matters is what happens between sessions. Cost of leaving it: walker ~$5,000 a year, boarding a reactive dog $1,000 to $1,500 a trip, behaviourist and medication $1,500+ in year one, all recurring, versus the PACE Program paid once ($2,000 over five weeks, consultation is the first $400).
- [Why won't my dog come when called?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/dog-wont-come-when-called.html): The dog knows the word; its arousal is too high to use it, the way a memorised times table vanishes under stage fright. Drilling recall against distractions fixes nothing because the problem was never vocabulary; work on the arousal and the word comes back on its own. Constant calling at the park is the symptom of a dog that isn't actually walking with its person, and every repeat teaches the word is optional while broadcasting the owner's position so the dog never has to check. Recall is rarely taught in Diona's programs: a dog that knows EXPLORE (free time inside a moving bubble, never at the end of the lead, never dragging) tracks its person by instinct, and standing still brings it in without a word. One formal come is kept (come and sit in front), used sparingly so free time stays free.
- [How do I prepare my dog for a new baby?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/preparing-your-dog-for-a-baby.html): Start months before the due date. The dog's real challenge is the attention drop, not the baby, so the preparation is structure, not introductions (no crying soundtracks or doll-carrying needed). Newborns are a "potato window": use it as the runway. House rule: active baby, passive dog; active dog, passive baby (dog in CALM while the baby is up, dog's turn while the baby sleeps). Build crate stamina from ten minutes toward six hours and install 15 to 20 minute training cycles before the birth. When the baby cries, adults stay calm and the dog gets nothing; the baby's noises are none of the dog's business. Toy audit before the due date: toys with faces and squeaky toys go (they overlap with children's toys and squeaky shoes). A dog already living on the four modes treats the arrival as a non-event.
- [Should you get two puppies from the same litter?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/two-puppies-same-litter.html): You can, but only if you raise them as two separate dogs, and almost nobody does. Littermate trouble comes from the raising, not the puppies: walked, fed and slept together, so their energies intertwine (one dog reacts, the other joins in) and the brother holds more value than the humans. Fix: run everything per dog. Cycles per dog per day (PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, EXPLORE), one-on-one play with the person the dog is with, the other dog tethered nearby and ignored (that dog is learning the harder lesson, and the whinging is FOMO, not separation anxiety), solo outings for each dog, separate crates from day one. Put them back together only once each dog can play, walk and settle alone; one person walking both dogs calmly is the graduation, not the starting point. The same setup applies to any two-dog household, not just littermates.
- [Are Golden Retrievers easy to train?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/golden-retriever-training-melbourne.html): Yes. Soft, clever, people-focused, and mostly they earn the easy reputation. The catch is over-handling: a nagged, over-cued Golden turns anxious rather than aggressive. They need clarity, fewer words, real boundaries, and an outlet for the retrieve drive.
- [Free Guide: To Dog Or Not To Dog](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/free-guide.html): Ten honest chapters on what dog ownership actually involves, before committing
- [Free Guide: Fresh Food Feeding for Dogs](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/fresh-food-feeding-guide.html): How to move a dog from kibble to fresh food. Why diet shows up in behaviour and brain health, a base mix recipe, daily portions (2 to 3% of body weight), feeding bones and extras, and a ten-day transition. Made with canine nutritionist Jacinta Malone of Chadwick Nutrition. Free download.
- [Therapy Dogs: Dog at Work](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/therapy-dogs): Therapy dog training for professionals who want their own dog at work. Not regulated in Australia; what employers and insurers ask for; the PACE Program plus the Dog at Work pack
- [Blog: Do I need a therapy dog certificate in Australia?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/do-i-need-a-therapy-dog-certificate-australia): No. The DDA covers assistance animals only; a 2024 University of Melbourne and Adelaide survey found no registration or accreditation requirements; the Animal Therapies Ltd code is voluntary; Victorian schools ask for "appropriate and accredited training" and name no provider. What the dog has to do, why obedience and treats fail in a food-free room
- [Assistance dog vs therapy dog](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/assistance-dog-vs-therapy-dog): The difference in Australian law and training, which one you need, owner-training an assistance dog, and the trainers Diona refers to for public access work
- [Blog: Still Waters](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/still-waters.html): The waterline model for reactive dogs
- [Blog: The Four Modes](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/the-four-modes.html): PACE framework explained
- [Blog: Cycles, Not Walks](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/cycles-not-walks.html): Structured daily cycles for reactive dogs
- [Blog: Reading Body Language](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/reading-body-language.html): How to read what your dog is communicating
- [Blog: Should I feed my dog fresh food?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/fresh-food-for-dogs.html): Nutrition. Fresh, species-appropriate food benefits a dog's health and behaviour; diet is tied to brain health and arousal. Food is food, with no hard line between dog and human food. Vets often disagree for two reasons: kibble-sponsored education and seeing badly balanced fresh diets. Start with a base mix of meat, organ and bone, feed 2 to 3% of body weight a day, transition off kibble over ten days. Puppies, working dogs, and allergy or gut cases need a nutritionist. Made with Jacinta Malone of Chadwick Nutrition.
- [Blog: When should puppy training start?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/when-should-puppy-training-start.html): Puppies. Training starts at five weeks old, before homecoming: the first eight weeks with the breeder install the foundational software. What owners can do before pickup day. Links the $440 Online Puppy Program.
- [Blog: How do I prepare my dog for a long-haul flight and a move overseas?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/prepare-dog-for-long-haul-flight): Moving. Make the airline crate the dog's bedroom six to eight weeks out (busiest room, never covered, door closed once the dog is flat inside, then moved with the dog in it, then airport noise), move to the new toilet arrangement before leaving, and audit the landing environment (toilet surface, transport, home, weather, dog culture, alone time) so the differences become the plan. Paperwork pointers (Smartraveller, CDC Dog Import Form, 180-day return rule) with the agent as the source. Timeline eight weeks to first week landed. Three rules for whoever holds the lead once the owner has flown ahead. Links the $49 Flight-Ready guide.
- [Blog: How long before a flight should I start crate training my dog?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/crate-training-dog-for-flight): Moving. Six to eight weeks, in the actual airline crate, in the busiest room, uncovered, meals inside, chew in the crate only; door closes the night the dog is already lying flat and never opens for whinging; weeks four to two the crate travels with the dog inside (car, garage in the dark, carried by a stranger); last fortnight airport recordings during crate rest, watching for the yawn. Second soft carrier if a leg is in-cabin.
- [Blog: Can I sedate my dog for a flight?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/can-i-sedate-my-dog-for-a-flight): Moving. No. The Australian Veterinary Association policy says dogs and cats should not be sedated for air transport (can't brace when the crate moves, lower blood pressure and breathing at ~8,000 ft cabin altitude, poor thermoregulation, dehydration and aspiration risk, unpredictable effects, worse for brachycephalic breeds); Qantas Freight does not recommend it and a pet that looks unwell at the terminal health check is not uplifted. Non-sedating anti-nausea or anxiety medication only on vet advice. What works is a crate that already means sleep, built six weeks out.
- [Blog: How do I teach my dog to wee on concrete before moving to a city?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/teach-dog-to-toilet-on-concrete): Moving. Toilet cue on the lead first (two minute window, one word, outing over), then a turf square on the concrete driveway halved every few days until gone, garden closed two weeks before the move. Marking versus weeing: a dog that signs every post never empties its bladder and can't go on cue; one full wee at the start of the outing, then no sniffing tour, and the wees get big again inside a week. Adult dogs hold eight to ten hours, not fourteen: last meal four hours before handover, full wee at handover, absorbent bedding, no blame.
- [Blog: How do I help my dog settle in after quarantine in Australia?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/dog-after-quarantine-australia): Moving. Dogs from approved countries spend a minimum of ten days at the government post-entry quarantine facility at Mickleham, Victoria (about 30 km from Melbourne Airport); owners cannot visit; collection on the release date between 10am and midday by the importer or agent. First day home: toilet trip on the lead within the hour, the crate it flew in set up in the busiest room with the same bedding and the same food, a day of nothing, no visitors, no park, no tour. Days two to seven: three fixed toilet trips, one ten minute walk on the block, crate sleeps, dog not left alone yet. Watch for: won't toilet day one (normal), window barking (block the view), sudden marking (structure slipped). A dog that comes out reactive after ten days of kennel noise needs a plan in the first month.
- [Blog: How do I choose a good puppy breeder?](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-puppy-breeder.html): Puppies. Choose a breeder by what the litter experiences before eight weeks: surfaces, sounds, handling, small frustrations. Red flags: sterile raising, no visits, early handover, no questions back.
- [The Waterline Workbook (paid, $25)](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/waterline-workbook.html): Seven day fillable PDF workbook for dog owners learning to read their dog before reacting
- [On-Edge Audit (free)](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/on-edge-audit.html): Free self-audit for owners of dogs who never settle. Pinpoints which PACE mode is missing in the daily routine
- [Resources hub](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/resources.html): Free guides, methodology essays, workbooks, and case studies. Central index page
- [Free Puppy Foundations Guide for Breeders](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/breeder-guide.html): Free week-by-week development guide. Seven stages from birth to handover (ENS, sound exposure, novel objects, crate/leash, car/vet, separation routine)
- [Dog Behaviour Self-Assessment](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/assessment.html): Free self-assessment for dog owners struggling with a reactive, anxious or hard-to-manage dog
- [Service Areas](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/service-areas.html): Dog training locations across Melbourne: Newport, Docklands, Williamstown, Yarraville, Spotswood, Altona North, Port Melbourne and surrounds
- [Recent Work](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/recent-work.html): Sample of recent client cases by Melbourne suburb with Google review quotes (this is a partial sample, not the full client list. Diona has 240+ Google reviews and has worked with hundreds more clients)
- [Recommended Gear](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/equipment.html): Dog training equipment Diona recommends to clients
- [Private Training Intake Form](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/start.html): Book a 90-minute private behavioural consultation
- [Breeder Partnership Application](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/breeders-apply.html): For ethical breeders ready to enrol their litter in the Good Puppy Blueprint
- [PACE Intensive Application](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/pace-intensive-apply.html): Apply for the trainer cohort, selective intake