Well, I actually quite like this. If I may offer some crit though, as there are a few things I might suggest doing differently...
Firstly, in addition to the dog, I feel the main reason the shot appears blurry, is because you used F/4 and focused on the distance. At 50mm, this wont extend the DoF far back enough to bring the foreground into sharp focus. I suggest, to eliminate the blur in the shot, simply use a tripod. This will eliminate camera shake, allow you to use a much larger aperture value, and let you use the cameras base ISO, instead of 1600. If the ground is dry enough, standing on the dog lead will free both hands for the minute it takes to set the tripod up and place the camera on it. alternativly, tie the dog to a tree for a moment.
Compositionally, the focal point is a touch too central for my taste. Sometimes, this can work sometimes as indeed there are no rules for composition, only guidlines. The treeline on the right of the path has a nice curve to it, and so here is what I might do. Take a moderate step to the left, and also move the position of the focal point about 1cm to the left, and about 1, maybe 2cm down. What this will do is as follows. Firstly, it will move the focal point to a more pleasing position in the frame. It will also have made you turn your camera to the right slightly, bringing the cut off tree into the frame. It will also have accentuated the long sweeping line of trees on the right of the path. By moving the camera up, you are reducing the emptiness of the foreground, and give the trees above more of tha chance to add to the shot. I feel that this composition would just add/accentuate some of the components and give the photo more impact.
Hth
PS: By tie the dog to a tree, I mean hook the lead over a branch.... Don't actually tie it to a tree!