Life on Io by Frank R. Paul

Frank R. Paul's Io

These furry, red headed puppies don't appear in Warlord of Io or Max Zing. At least, not yet. Wanted them in as background elements but never got around to it. So lazy.

Note that the human seems to have them outgunned: he's got an axe and rifle (and possibly a sidearm on his belt). All the Ions have are claws and what appear to be spears.

Is this The Man Who Would Be King, only on another planetary body and without Sean Connery? Or is it more Avatar, only with fur coats and red smurfs?