Great shots lottie, well done!

Since you specifically asked what could be done with the first photo I submit this edit to give you my ideas on improvements. First I cropped the shot tight to eliminate all the blurred grass that did little to add interest to the subject, the dog. Next I increased brightness, contrast and especially sharpness to better define the dog. I then applied a light vignette around the border to cause the viewer to concentrate on the dog's face. Finally I applied a simple frame to hold it all together and take a good snapshot to a higher level photograph. I hope you enjoy the results.

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Lost this thread, did not realise is was in the beginners slot, think the crop you have done has improved that shot and my only comment would be to try and get nearer and just keep clicking, the more you take the better you will get. Notice what you don't like about each shot and try to do better next time.

That is a beautiful edit, Bob. I really like it.

That's really good to see Bob, it's amazing what a difference you have made. That's a great help for us beginners!

Some techniques, like selective masking, allow you to enhance a very tiny area of a photograph. An example would be how I lightened just the dog's eyes so that more detail is visible. Sharpening is an art all its own, too much and edges seem fake, too little and the photo remains "soft". It takes more time to really learn how to use editing software as it does photography. A general rule of thumb remains, if you notice it's been post processed you've done too much.