need help drawing water

I'm hoping the forum pros can help me out with this. I've drawn a family member's corgi standing on the pier (done from a photo I took of him at the lake cottage), but it looks unfinished. I'm not at all good at drawing scenery and would like to draw water in the background. I'm not sure how I expect anyone to show me on online , but maybe someone can post pics of a couple of visual steps as to give me the general idea? Thanks in advance!

Maybe this will help. I feel like it needs water in the background. Like I said, I'm not good with scenery so most of my drawings just have a shadow under or around the subject so it doesn't look like it's floating in the air. Do you think it's okay as is or would it look better with the lake surrounding him?

I think if you're not confident drawing water, then leave it as it is. If you flood the background with an attempt at water, you will ruin the whole drawing - which by the way is VERY good!
You could perhaps put your pencil on the side and put a little shading under the pier and work it outwards in a light 'swirling' pattern but don't work it all the way up past his head or again, you'll 'flood' the background.

No problem at all, glad I could help :) You just need to remember with drawings like this, that less is always more. Some artists like to draw a realistic background into their work, and it certainly works on some pieces, but others it takes to focus away from the subject, which you do not want in this one as the corgi is obviously what you want to focus on.
Be sure to post a photo of what you end up doing with it :)

Okay, here's what I did. Instead of my pencil, I used a dirty tortillion and kneaded eraser. It's hard to see, but I did blend it out up to his muzzle, getting lighter the farther I went out. Thank you again, Kayty for your help and please let me know what you think of my changes!

I like the second due because it makes the dock he's standing on have more depth.
Looks good!

Thank you!

Much beter :) I would even get a little braver with the shading just along the edge of the dock, and go a little darker, to give the impression of height.

I totally agree! The water you've done works well in your picture.