can anyone give me a clue why this nice shot of a puppy might have been rejeceted?

Steve, it’s become difficult to look closely at photos and make a technical assessment when attached in the forum.

The biggest takeaway for you is to always shoot the sht of anything, specially when you have control over it, then choose your favorite compositions. The other is to think ahead of adding human elements to your shot, props that narrate more than just a sleeping puppy…  that’s part of the creative process each of us brings. Think of what could make the picture more interesting and unique.

if you’d like send me a private message and I’ll share my email if you’d like to send me the shot you submitted to take a closer look.

Cute shot!

Cute pic, but lack of an interesting composition may have been one reason for rejection. The blue pillow gives the image two nearly equally sized halves and the pillow itself is not that interesting of a subject to be allotted that much space.