JP, I agree with you about the photos, especially about the color cast of the second photo. I still like the second photo because it looks more like my dog (in the first photo he has a very unusual expression), and I like the brightness of his eyes in the second photo. Technically, however, the first photo is probably better. The second photo also looks like it could use some sharpening, which may help but still wouldn't make up for the initial lack of sharpness.
I've made a quick color correction to the second photo. Unfortunately, my good monitor died and I haven't replaced it, yet. So, I'm now doing my edits with a cheap, uncalibrated monitor. I hope this second version is an improvement, but I won't attempt any sharpening until I get my new monitor. Rather than clutter up this thread with more photos of my dog, I'll try to just replace the second photo in my original post.