I'm with bevchiron. Get Scottie into some nice shade, under a maple tree or wait for an overcast day, or use a lite-disc (but it would have to be a big one, I think). You can try flash, but my dog has got so she recognizes the sound, and she looks away, every time. If you have a high end flash, something with e-ttl, or one that you can bounce, it's less of a problem. The catchlights in the eyes in the third one are a real plus. You want the focus DEAD on, on the eyes; the rest of the image might be softish, but it won't much matter if the eyes are sharp. I would remove her tags, or hide them; they constitute a distraction in the third image especially, which is actually quite nice even so. I think Azy is right too; very frequently getting down to the dog's level makes for good shots (but many dogs consider it an invitation to approach, soooo, if she knows "stay" it's probably OK--my dog gets a snotty expression on her face if I use that word tho'--LOL she's a real witch). What lens are you using?