I think it's great that you're getting into photography, but frankly I think you need to change your subject. I think it's a common choice for amateurs to attempt to shoot "studio photography" or portrait photography, or basically any tpes of photography that involves taking shots of an object or living thing in a non-candid manner. These kinds of photos are incredibly difficult. Portraiture is almost a genre of art unto itself. Instead, try taking your camera outside. Go to sporting events, fairs, carnivals, protests....anything interesting and new and different happening in the outside world. I like to think of it like this: If 50 years from now some archaeologist digs up some of your photos, do you think he'd be more interested in seeing pictures of a dog on a couch, or seeing pictures of people living life 50 years ago?