Hi Marie and Welcome!

Ironically given your comment about my Rotties, mini-Dachshunds aren't exactly my cup of tea yet I've met some wonderful representatives of literally every breed. There are some breeds I wouldn't own but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy meeting the good ones.

I find your exposure of these guys a bit dark. I love the saturated background color however. Did you try to open up the shadows a bit in PhotoShop? Since the color is similar to Rotties, that's what I usually have to do to bring them up a bit. Also, with black dogs, I find flatter lighting works better than directional. That's just my experience. Others may have a different opinion.

For cats, watch for Preston's posts. He's very good and he knows the cat show business so he's a good person to give you advice in that area as well.

Please share more.

Jim