Hi Karen, Its all easy when you know how!!
I'm reading between the lines again, so apologies if I'm on the wrong track, you use the word `proper' in terms of delivery at the same time saying you are just starting gundog training classes, this is the same as trying to run before you can walk! The retrieve, whilst to look at is one complete exercise, is in fact several and a mixture of natural abilities and trained abilities, not all are working towards our desired `retrieve'.
The first priority in training for a good retrieving dog, is encouraging or creating a desire in the dog to find and fetch things, some do this naturally, some do it naturally until they discover `scent' and hunting! and some require well co-ordinated encouragement and enthusiasm from their handler to light the damp touch paper and keep it burning! ( Usually with HPR's its a mix and match of all three!)
I could go on and fill a book, as many have on retrieving and training methods, but to keep to your case, it is likely that by concentrating on the delivery you are giving conflicting signals to the dog once it has found and picked up the retrieve. ( A good game has become a chore to quickly). I see this even in experienced handlers in competition, their desire to get it right in front of a judge often creates confusion and tension in the dog. Some then make matters worse by `ordering' their dog in, and making the game even less worth playing.
There is the other common mistake of praising at the inappropriate part of the retrieve, and this changes as training progresses and depending on the enthusiasm of the dog, so is never easy to understand by the novice. For example in your description I would like to see if you praised on the find, or on the way back, both are right in the early stages of retriever training but should be dismissed with once the dog is doing these fine, praise and fuss should be restricted to ( after)delivery only. The dogs own self belief and desire should drive the dog on to do the retrieve up to the point of delivery, handing something of value over to you is about partnership and respect. Not all is lost if you neither have the respect or have made mistakes in the building of the partnership as there are various training methods and maneuvers to distract the dog from the reluctance to part with its prize, the sit present or walking to heel before taking the retrieve are just two, a good point in which both these methods emphasise, is don't always be in too much of a hurry to take/ snatch the retrieve from the dog, and always treat the retrieve with the respect/value that the DOG thinks it deserves.
Hope there is some enlightenment in the above.
Peter