Hi there! Thanks for your kind words!
First of all, congratulations on your new camera! I must say, when I first got my camera I was really terrible - so I have come quite a way in the past 4 years I think. This is how I learned:
The biggest thing is to practice, practice, practice. As much as you can. And I always find just one thing to refine at a time, don't worry about everything at once. Practicing on an animal that doesn't move much/knows how to stay is great! I learned by photographing Why, my dog - he is very patient and obedient and doesn't get distracted easily.
For animal photography, the eyes being in focus is very important. Learn to predict where the subject is going to go and move your focus point accordingly (I always use autofocus as it's much quicker than I am!). And finally, get down to their level, it improves the composition a lot and makes the photo connect so much more.
I hope I have given you some helpful advice (and didn't bore you with my novel!), and look forward to seeing some awesome photos!! Jess