Lozen, a beautiful white and liver patched shorthair, stood on point with great intensity, her tail up and steady. Her panting mouth had snapped shut when she'd hit bird scent, and she stood riveted, breathing, drinking in the scent.

Two of us stepped forward, to flush the bird and shoot. The fat chucker launched and banked to the right, making it my friend's shot. He dropped the bird, and I released Lozen to make the retrieve. She jetted out with great eagerness, mouthed the bird a bit, but shortly grasped it and headed back towards me.When she got about a step or two from me, to my surprise, she dropped the bird.I couldn't understand it. For several seasons she'd been making reliable retrieves, delivering the bird to hand. Now, she began to drop the bird at a distance just beyond my outstretched hand.What had happened? I talked to other people who work with hunting dogs, and learned that this "failed just at the delivery" is a common problem. It can crop up with any dog, even the most reliable retriever. Here's how to fix it:1. Obedience Work - Using a paint roller, even in the comfort of your living room, work with your dog on this simple drill. While holding the paint roller so that it touches your dog's muzzle, say the word Fetch. At first, your dog may not know what's required. Gently open the dog's mouth and have it hold the paint roller. As it holds the roller, even if you have to hold its mouth shut over the roller, keep up a steady stream of praise using the phrase Good Hold. Then, say Give and remove the paint roller.2. Paint roller repeats: If you can do this several times a day, just a few minutes at a time, within a week or two your dog should be A. opening its mouth when it hears the word Fetch and B. holding the paint roller when you take your hand away. If the dog drops the paint roller before the command Give, say NO sharply and repeat the drill. Once this skill is mastered, expand it - while your dog is holding the paint roller, have it heel, or move a few steps away and have the dog come to you. Again, if the roller is dropped, be ready with a displeased NO put it back.3. The Fake Out - Mix it up in the field. Many times the dog drops the bird as it gets to you because it knows you're about the take the bird from it. Don't always take the bird. Sometimes, have the dog heel a short distance first. Or take the dog by the collar, and use lots of petting and praise first, before taking the bird.Do the obedience work, and try the Fake Out in the field, and soon your reliable retriever should reappear.