Bored dog

I've seen the shot that I think you are trying to replicate. (Perhaps) By AltF

What made that shot work, was that the dog was looking into the camera, and was much closer to the lens.  Another big component of that shot, was that the couple was fully visible in the background, albeit very short on focus.

And this is what I think this one needed....

The dog is you main character here, and the people are the backups.  The problem is, the dog isn't grabbing our attention.  The second problem is that too much of the "background action" with the couple has been cut out of the frame.  That leave the viewer with no real focus on anything.

It's a great shot when all the components are there, but this shot is simply missing it's primary (and secondary) focus in this instance.

Thank you for sharing!

   Well- a photographer with a sense of humor!  When I worked on a newspaper many years ago- this is the kind of shot we would try for on a slow news day.  I's cute and it tells a story.  As a long time dog lover, I know how jealous man's best friend can become when his master is otherwise occupied when he or she should be giving all their attention to Fido. I can just hear that dog saying "come on- you guys are supposed to be walking me so stop fooling around already".  OK- so dogs can't talk- little do y'all know.

Whether it's a good catch or a set up- it is a fun shot.    Ed Shapiro