4 Quick setup AND Posing
For the posing, even if it’s an animal, I like to use 3ds Max biped setup. Because I’m not a rigger and I don’t want to waste time on the setup, biped setup is a good alternative. You can create a quick setup that will pose your character with extra bones, for tricky parts. If the biped limited your posing, you can always retake it with an edit Poly modifier on the top.