"I don't like the lack of symmetry in the shot or the shadow and I don't like his head and neck is positioned. Makes it look too short for a dachshund. The 1st and 2nd are probably my favorites."
Ahh - the shadow is a legitimate gripe. I had thought about cloning it out when I was doing the processing, but I hate the look of shorn fur.

Seriously, I have not gotten good at cloning out shadow areas where fur is connected because of hte different lengths involved.
As to the positioning of the neck, that is different. I like the angle. I almost posted the original 2:3 format, which is exaggerated even more. Is it pure positioning of the dog that is a problem for you, or is it also the framing?
The owner was just ecstatic with the images, and I never asked her which ones she liked best. It is not a bad idea though.
"Which ones were the owners favorites? Owners never seem to pick the same ones I do. Which is why I am so bad about not culling more. Many times, they choose shots I am not at all fond of. "
LOL, I have found the same thing with wedding photographs. They NEVER pick out the shots that I think are most artsy. They typically choose the conservative ones for their albums - understandable, but disappointing as that is often why they initially hire me.
James