you suck give up!
#1) focus
#2) focus, and fstop, the water is clear, but so should the majority of the pic. Raise the fstop.
#3) high speed shutter, good luck getting a clear shot of a dog running in poor light! (flash would help getting a clearer shot, but would eliminate the natural lighting)
#4) expososure, no tripod, exposure was too long, and being you don't have a tripod, night time pics will be blurry!!
criticism for composition:
#1 dead on shots are slightly boring, I might have moved the rear(smaller vase) away more and then taken the picture from a slightly higher and slightly to the left more. this would have made the picture a little more dramatic.
#2 good composition
#3 kind of a good example of the 3rds rule, composition is pretty good.
#4 I would have had the 4 little trees on the left be at the edge of the pic and or tried to make the power lines create a good linear effect that flow'd with the rest of the pic.
My learning experience with digital cameras.
1) Don't know what setting do, take the same pic multiple times changing the settings with each pic.
2) own and use a tripod!!! almost always!!!
3) Take lots and lots of pics. the more you take the more you learn.
4) The rule of 3rds. will help with composition, do a search
I have no formal photography training, but you know my work and style, all I can say is get a tripod and take lots and lots more pics.