"Kill Highlights" is fine but "Open Shadows" would be better. JMHO.

Julie, I find the fill-light slider in ACR works much better than the Shadow/Highlight Adjustment slider under Image in Photoshop. It really does act like a fill light especially if I used fill in the original photo.

Preston, you're the only one who saw the dog live and in color so you're the only one that knows how true to the dog's coat the various fixes can bring it. I find that a simple increase in saturation after all the shadow work brings everything back to "normal" looking.

Jim