Critique please...?

[pgriz]

Looking at this image, your affection for the dog is clear. From the point of view of a stranger that doesn't know the dog, there are a few things could help create a stronger bond. In no particular order...
1) The dog's gaze is off to the left. It would have helped create a better link with the viewer if the dog's gaze was at the camera/viewer.
2) The focus was on the dog's eyes, but this ended up putting the nose somewhat out of focus. If the point of focus would have been just in front of the eyes, then they would have been within the depth-of-field, while the front would have been more clear.
3) The perspective could have been a little better if you had shifted the camera about half a foot or so to your left, so that the bright spot on the left would have been minimized, and the image would flow better from the head of the dog towards the rest of its body.
What has worked in this image is the shallow depth-of-field (with the caveat of #2 in mind), the low level, and the brightness that surrounds the dog, making the image look dreamlike. Overall, if the camera was at the point that the dog seems to have been looking at, the image would have been stronger (in my opinion, of course).