I didn't get to AJ during the challenge but if you don't mind I'd like to say something now. AJ is adorable! I too have a little weiner dog, her name is Lolli Pup so you get an extra point for that :)
The noise and grain in the shot might work better if this were a black and white. but you can also use Neat Image to help clean some of that up. I like the colors but they don't really pop off the page, seem just a bit dull overall. Also a more solid background without the wrinkles will really make a difference on keeping the attention on the main subject. I did give you a 7, would have been a 6 but like I said, extra point for having a beautiful little weiner dog ;)
It's good that you've tried to 'hide' the background with a backdrop but the creases and depth of field make it become part of the image more than just a background. The image is also fairly noisy, which could be because of poor light or too much exposure correction. The focus also looks a little off, again this could be because of poor/dim lighting. The composition is good.
So much chromatic noise detracts from your precious pup? Rotating slightly counterclockwise to level the eyes and cropping in vertically would help this shot.
Cute dog, hazy photo. Would have liked to see a slightly crisper photo and stronger colors to bring him/her away from the background - at least for the face.
This looks like a very poor quality image. Maybe taken way to small with too little light. The wrinkled cloth background is a definite problem as well.