Flotsam, before the dog turned the corner of the building I saw him coming, so in anticipation I knelt down and held the camera close to the ground to get the angle I wanted. Luckily he turned when he got to the corner so I was able to get the building as an uncluttered backdrop. FWIW, a lot of what I do is pre-focused and the exposure pre-set.
Once again, thanks... the comments are much appreciated.