# Private Dog Training Melbourne | Diona The Trainer

Private dog training for reactive, anxious, and over-aroused dogs.  
90-minute initial session — AUD $400.  
In person: Newport and Docklands, Melbourne. Virtual: worldwide.

→ Enquire: https://forms.gle/khtiakQ4EUFmW9TUA

## Who this is for

Most private clients have been to two or three trainers before. Their dog knows the commands. The dog still pulls, lunges, barks at every passing dog, paces the house, cannot settle in a cafe, takes advantage of guests. The owner is exhausted.

What Diona sees in those sessions is almost always the same thing: a dog whose nervous system has been on high alert for so long that good behaviour has become impossible, and an owner who has been managing the dog's behaviour without ever addressing the regulation underneath.

What Diona works on most:
- Leash reactivity — barking and lunging at dogs, people, bikes, cars
- Anxiety and fear-based behaviour
- Resource guarding and household tension
- Dogs who cannot settle at home or in cafes
- Pulling on lead and walks that boil over
- Adolescent dogs who suddenly stop listening
- Households with multiple dogs not getting along

## What is different about how Diona works

Diona holds a Bachelor's in Veterinary Science and a Master's in Early Childhood Education, and has 14+ years of work across zoos, wildlife reserves, assistance dog programs, and pet training. The cross-industry lens is what makes her sessions look different to most.

She does not hand owners a command list. She shows them how to read their dog moment by moment, then how to set up the day so good behaviour is the easy choice. The methodology is PACE: PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, and EXPLORE. Each mode has clear rules. None of them blur. Get the modes holding and most of what the client came in to fix resolves on its own.

## Murphy

Diona brings Murphy — her black Labrador, certified assistance dog — to most reactive-dog sessions. Reactive dogs read Murphy's calm and start to mirror it. She is not a prop. She is a working partner who demonstrates what neutral, present, and unbothered actually looks like.

## How sessions run

### First session — 90 minutes, AUD $400
The first 5 to 10 minutes is theory and methodology: the PACE framework, how Diona reads the dog, notes to take home. Then hands-on: lead handling, CALM setup, PLAY structure, or breaking a reactive cycle on a walk, depending on what the dog needs that day.

The client leaves with a clear plan for the next week, built around what their dog is actually doing right now.

### Follow-up program
After the first session Diona recommends whether a follow-up program is right. 98% of clients — general pet behaviour, serious reactivity, fear-based cases, and aggression — find the four-week program is enough as long as they are committed. Ongoing sessions are $370–$380.

Between sessions, clients film their homework and send it via WhatsApp. Diona sends specific feedback. The video loop is where most of the change happens.

Two dogs from the same household: $50 extra per session. WhatsApp support covers both dogs.

Sessions run Wednesday to Saturday. Limited new clients per week.

## Frequently asked

**Do you work with aggressive dogs?**  
Yes, with full disclosure of bite history before the first session. The work is slower and the structure tighter, but almost all clients — including aggression cases — find the four-week program is enough as long as they are committed.

**Can we do this online if we are not in Melbourne?**  
Yes. Virtual consultations work well for behavioural assessment, methodology setup, and ongoing video review. Some skills, especially lead handling for reactive dogs, are easier in person, but most clients overseas do the whole program online without issue.

**How long until I see change?**  
Most clients notice a real shift within the first one to two sessions. The full four-week program is where the lasting change happens, because reactivity is built on months or years of repetition.

**Do you use treats?**  
Strategically, especially in PLAY. Treats are not used as a distraction or to lure a reactive dog past a trigger. That papers over the problem. PLAY with food, used correctly, builds focus and excitement that carries into the rest of the day.

**Do you take dogs under 12 weeks?**  
For under-12-week puppies, the Good Puppy Blueprint online program is a better fit. It is designed to start before puppy comes home.

**Can I bring two dogs?**  
Yes. Two dogs from the same household is $50 per session on top of the standard rate. Even when only one dog is visibly reactive, the other dog's energy often drives the problem.

## Other ways to work with Diona

- [Good Puppy Blueprint](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/puppy-training.html) — Online puppy program, $440
- [Trainer Mentorship](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/mentorship.html) — Three-part program for working trainers
- [Blog](https://www.dionathetrainer.com/blog/) — Free methodology reading