Actually on that last plop render you are getting shadows, Fran. The one on the drawbridge is the darkest. I'm thinking now the ambiance may be a little high on your material where the dog is standing, set it down to 10 on the slider and see if it makes a difference. Also, the lights on the dog look to be casting long shadows, so maybe the light isn't directly above. If you're expecting a shadow from the dog directly under it, this may be why you aren't getting one.

This is not my "second childhood". I'm not finished with the first one yet.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

"I'd like to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather....not screaming in terror like the passengers on his bus." - Jack Handy