sorry, can't help with the fur issue

eyes issue:
if you haven't made holes for the eyes in the head then you can't do much to have his eyes changing shape unless you animate the eyes itself. i dont know how well that will go down with fur though

feet issue:
you can't just extrude them out more?

texture issue:
you have the UV snap shot so you can just paint onto it like you would with the colour map.


as for your wireframe.... it looks like you have way too many non-functional edges.
painting weights is going to be a bigger pain that it needs to be when you rig it.
also, are you going to give him a bandana?