For twelve-year-old Hailey, the upcoming annual family duck hunt is a chance to prove that she's finally ready to join her family in the duck blind. She's also hoping that Cocoa, the excitable young dog she chose last fall against her parents' advice, has what it takes to make a great retriever. When hunt day arrives, Hailey is sure she and Cocoa have everything under control. But Cocoa's inexperience spoils several good shots for the rest of the family, and the young dog risks being sent home from the hunt. And Hailey soon learns that willing things to go right doesn't mean they will.