Hehe fun stuff!!

With regards to the frame over time, this is a sub D so why not just put the thing into proxy whilst adding geometry, add a shelf button to give yourself that ease to and from subd to poly.

Thats a pretty dense mesh too in areas especially for a subd, the shoulder is an area that isnt sitting with me, as is the paw grooves

You're going to need to go to poly anyhow to texture this properly
so...good work though


Cheers
Jay