Looks like he making sure you get the right shot here. Who is actually in charge anyway? Like the shallow DOF, no need to have all the grass in perfect focus.
He still looks like a puppy here. What a cutie! My dog, at age 7, still loves her flat football. Focus, DOF, and color are spot on. If it were my shot, I might brighten the midtones up about 1/2 a stop, but it's not far off.
I love how the focus on the grass fades from front to back (more detailed/clear in front) while Hoover stays crisp and clear. A fun capture ... I can just hear the growl if a hand reached for the ball now.
Ah, he's having such fun. Bet he loves that deflated ball - so much easier to get his teeth into than an inflated one would be - maybe his teeth had something to do with that??