James,
my comments were both philosophical and aesthetic: I don't change a dog that is not set up perfectly in my show photos even though I could. To me, photography is not about taking great pictures of perfect subjects. It's about taking great pictures of subjects that show them as flatteringly as possible but not unrealistically so.

Just a note: I don't overly retouch my people portraits either. Skin isn't always perfect. I fix the major blemishes but I don't go for "Playboy" smoothness.

Regardless, I like the Hector photos the way they are. And I'd be happy to have them in my portfolio.

Jim