“Who’s a good dog?”

As it turns out, as she’s doing quite well.

“Of the group of six she started out with,” Dobesh said, “there are only four still in the program, including her.”

Dobesh got to share Nicole’s training regiment, show off the many skills she’s learned and talk about the Puppy Jake Foundation Wednesday during the monthly Lunch and Learn hosted by Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Nicole, a Puppy Jake Foundation service dog being trained by Kris Dobesh, of Algona, shows off one of her many skills, picking an object up off the floor and returning it. The two shared their experiences during the monthly Lunch and Learn hosted by Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

Nicole will be given to a military veteran in March as a service dog.

Everywhere that Nicole goes with Dobesh, including the Lunch and Learn, is part of her ongoing training.

“You want to expose her to as many things as you can,” she said. “I take her everywhere we go. Weddings, funerals, the big game. If you go out, she goes to the bar with you. All these experiences are vital for them to know.”

Since Nicole will be a qualified Americans with Disabilities Act Service Dog, it’s illegal for a business to bar her.

“We had a restaurant in San Francisco try to say she couldn’t be there,” Dobesh said. “We left them a card explaining the law and took our business elsewhere.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen With a little help from Janet Hubbell, funeral director at Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Kris Dobesh, of Algona, demonstrates how Nicole, a Puppy Jake Foundation service dog she's training, places herself between a veteran and someone approaching them. Dobesh shared her experience with Nicole and let her show off her skills during the monthly Lunch and Learn hosted by Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

Nicole is trained to respond to the moods of those around her.

“Oh you bet she is,” Dobesh said. “The largest group of vets who receive the dogs are those with post traumatic stress disorder.”

With the aid of a service dog, many of those vets suffering from PTSD are able to expand their lives.

“One of them was a complete recluse held hostage by PTSD in his home,” she said. “The dogs help overcome their fear.”

Dobesh demonstrated by sitting down on a chair and giving Nicole a command. The dog laid her head on her trainer’s lap, then jumped up for a hug. Had Dobesh been the vet that will eventually receive her, those actions would have been a source of much calming.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen With her trainer, Kris Dobesh, of Algona, in the back of the room, Nicole, a Puppy Jake Foundation service dog she's training demonstrates her ability to stay during the monthly Lunch and Learn hosted by Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

Raising a Puppy Jake Foundation dog isn’t cheap.

“It takes $20,000 to raise one of these puppies for two years,” she said.

For anyone willing to write a check for the full amount, she said they get to name the dog being trained.

In addition to financial contributions, there are other ways to help. The group is always looking for volunteer dog sitters and volunteers at their facility in Des Moines.

Many dog owners have recently had to deal with their animal’s negative reactions to the now-legal fireworks being set off in Iowa. One audience member was curious about how Dobesh trained Nicole to not react to them.

“I use a clicker to train her,” she said. “When fireworks go off, I click it and give her a piece of food. Now in her mind it’s fireworks, click, food.”

She used the same method to get Nicole used to the sound of the vacuum cleaner. Many dogs find this common household appliance terrifying.

“I put food near the vacuum, clicked, then gave her food.” she said.

Russ Goebel, of Fort Dodge, was among those in the audience who had a question.

“Is there a need for a tuneup every now and then?” he asked.

The short answer was no, not really.

“We do a lot of puppy swapping so they get used to someone else,” she said. “We work really hard that she responds to those other people the way she responds to me.”

Once placed with a vet, Nicole will go through two weeks of training with her new owner.

It takes a lot of dedication to be a trainer. For Dobesh, it’s a lot of hours.

“Twenty-four hours a day,” she said. “Literally. During the day, she goes to work with me.”

While there’s a long waiting list for a Puppy Jake Foundation dog, Dobesh encourages those who know a vet or a vet in need to get in contact with them.

Of course, in order to train Nicole, Dobesh had to go through her own training. She signed up in April of 2015 and began her training in July 2015. She finished in January of 2016.

“The real training came when I got the dog.” she said.

So far, she said the foundation has placed 18 dogs and 42 are currently in training.

Dobesh will soon have to hand Nicole’s leash over.

“God called me to do this,” she said. “This is an opportunity to give back. I can’t imagine being a parent giving a child to the service. Giving up a dog pales in comparison.”

She expects great things from Nicole.

“We know the mission,” she said. “This dog has a great purpose in front of her. She will serve someone well that’s served us well.”