The Hachi Way Associates
Train dogs the way you wish you'd been taught to
The Hachi Way certifies trainers who teach owners to read their dog first, and command it second.
If you've spent your career running through obedience commands and watched the same dogs come back unchanged, you already know what's missing. Training with Diona is about filling it in, then carrying the method into your own practice.
After the program
What you'll be qualified to do
- Run a behavioural assessment that tells you, in 90 minutes, what's actually driving a dog's behaviour and what the household needs to change first.
- Teach an owner to read their dog’s body language well enough that they catch escalation before it lands, not after.
- Design a daily structure (cycles of PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM, EXPLORE) that fits the household and changes the dog’s behaviour without needing the handler present and switched-on at every moment.
- Handle a reactive case without escalating it.
- Hold the line on the parts owners cave on, and know why letting any mode slip sets the rest of the work back.
- Take the methodology, adapt it to your own voice, and run it inside your own practice.
The program does not turn you into a clone. It teaches you a framework you can deliver in your own way.
What opens up
Where this can take you
Training with Diona is the start. The point is what comes after: a place in a small network of trainers who work the same way, and the work that flows through it.
- A listing on the public Find a Trainer directory at thehachiway.com.
- Client referrals routed to you through the Hachi Way platform, based on where you work.
- The right to run the Hachi Way methodology inside your own practice, with your own clients.
- A place in the associate community, with quarterly sessions with Diona and an annual gathering.
- First call on associate work as the network grows.
Associate profiles are added here as the first cohort gets going.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I need to be a working trainer already?
Not necessarily. Some associates come in running a full practice, others come from adjacent work with animals or people. What matters is that you have raised or trained at least one dog from scratch and you can read canine body language. If you are not sure you are a fit, the best move is to get in touch and ask.
What can I charge once I am certified?
You set your own rates above a minimum that protects the credential. The Foundation minimum is AU$250 per session. You can charge more; you cannot list as a Hachi Way trainer and charge less.
Can I keep my own practice and my own clients?
Yes. The credential applies to your client-facing work. Your existing clients stay yours.
Will you send me clients?
Over time, yes, through Hachi Way referral routing, based on your location. Volume is not guaranteed and grows with the network.
How do I get certified?
Certification runs through the PACE Intensive, a small hands-on program with Diona. This page is the short version. If it sounds like your kind of work, contact us and we will tell you what is involved and whether the timing fits.
Get certified
Think you're a fit?
This page is the teaser, not the full brief. If you want to train with Diona and join the Hachi Way Associates, the next step is a conversation. Tell us about your work and what you're after, and we'll take it from there. Diona reads every message herself, so expect a reply within 7 business days.