Handle Animal (Cha; Trained Only)
Use this skill to drive a team of horses pulling a wagon over rough terrain, to teach a dog to guard, or to teach a tyrannosaurus to "speak" on your command.
Check: The DC depends on what you are trying to do.
| Task | Handle Animal DC |
| Handle an animal | 10, |
| "Push" an animal | 25 |
| Teach an animal a trick | 15 or 20¹, |
| Train an animal for a general purpose | 15 or 20¹ |
| Rear a wild animal | 15 + HD of animal |
| ¹ See the specific trick or purpose below. | |
| General Purpose | DC |
| Combat riding | 20 |
| Fighting | 20 |
| Guarding | 20 |
| Heavy labor | 15 |
| Hunting | 20 |
| Performance | 15 |
| Riding | 15 |
Handle an Animal: This task involves commanding an animal to perform a task or trick that it knows. For instance, to command a trained attack dog to attack a foe requires a DC 10 Handle Animal check. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action,
"Push" an Animal: To push an animal means to get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn't know but is physically capable of performing, This category also covers making an animal perform a forced march or forcing it to hustle for more than 1 hour between sleep cycles (see Overland Movement). If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.
Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 (such as a snake or a shark) can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 (such as a dog or, horse) can learn a maximum of six tricks. Possible tricks (and their associated DCs) include, but are nor necessarily limited to the following:
Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent enemies, You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack and it will comply if able, Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal so attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks.
Come (DC 15): The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so (following you onto a boat, for example).
Defend (DC 20): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively you can command the animal to defend a specific other character.
Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn't know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated.
Fetch (DC 15): The animal goes and gets something. If you do not point our a specific item, the animal fetches some random object.
Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Heel (DC 15): The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn't go.
Perform (DC 15): The animal performs a variety of simple tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or barking, and so on.
Seek (DC 15): The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
Stay (DC 15): The animal stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if it needs to.
Track (DC 20): The animal tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the animal to have the scent ability; see the Monster Manual for details.)
Work (DC 15): The animal pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load.
Train an Animal for a Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. Essentially, an animal's purpose represents a preselected set of known tricks that fit into a common scheme, such as guarding or heavy labor, The animal must meet all the normal prerequisites for all tricks included in the training package. If the package includes more than three tricks, the animal must have an intelligence score of 2.
An animal can be trained for only one general purpose, though if the creature is capable of learning additional tricks, (above and beyond those included in its general purpose), it may do so. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer checks than teaching individual tricks does, but no less time. At your DM's option, you may be able to train an animal for a purpose that isn't mentioned here.
Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. You may also "upgrade" an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs (see the Monster Manual) are already trained to bear riders into combat, and they don't require any additional training for this purpose.
Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained so engage in combat knows the tricks attack, down, and stay. Training an animal for fighting takes three weeks.
Guarding (DC 20): An animal trained to guard knows the tricks attack, defend, down, and guard. Training an animal for guarding takes four weeks.
Heavy Labor (DC 15): An animal trained for heavy labor knows the tricks come and work. Training an animal for heavy labor takes two weeks.
Hunting (DC 20): An animal trained for hunting knows the tricks attack, down, fetch, heel, seek, and track. Training an animal for hunting takes six weeks.
Performance (DC 15): An animal trained for performance knows the tricks come, fetch, heel, perform, and stay. Training an animal for performance takes five weeks.
Riding (DC 15): An animal trained to bear a rider knows the tricks come, heel, and stay. Training an animal for riding takes three weeks.
Rear a Wild Animal: To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind at once. A successfully domesticated animal can be taught tricks at the same time it's being raised, or it can be taught as a domesticated animal later.
Action: Varies. Handling an animal is a move action, while pushing an animal is a full-round action. (A druid or ranger can handle her animal companion as a free action or push it as a move action.) For tasks with specific time frames noted above, you must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled) working toward completion of the task before you attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal fails and you need not complete the teaching, rearing, or training time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching, rearing, or training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal automatically fails.
Try Again: Yes, except for rearing an animal.
Special: You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do. The Monster Manual provides information on teaching or training other kinds of creatures as appropriate.
A druid or ranger gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Handle Animal checks involving her animal companion, in addition, a druid's or ranger's animal companion knows one or more bonus tricks, which don't count against the normal limit on tricks known and don't require any training time or Handle Animal checks to teach.
If you have the Animal Affinity feat, you get a +2 bonus on Handle Animal checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Handle Animal, you get a +2 bonus on Ride checks and wild empathy checks.
Untrained: If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals, but you can't teach, rear, or train animals. A druid or ranger with no ranks in Handle Animal can use a Charisma check to handle and push her animal companion, but she can't teach, rear, or train other nondomestic animals.
Trick Capacity
Most creatures with an Intelligence lower than 3 can learn three tricks for every point of Intelligence. Trained animals and special mounts can learn more by taking the Extra Tricks feat. DMs should feel free to introduce special stables or trainers that specialize in producing animals with the Extra Tricks feat and unique selections of tricks.
New Trick - PH2
Use this skill to train an animal as part of a team.
Check: Teaching an animal the teamwork trick requires a DC 20 Handle Animal check made as part of teamwork training. This trick allows the animal to be part of a team and thus benefit from any teamwork benefits enjoyed by that team. The animal must still meet any team member prerequisites required to gain the benefit.
Scout Trick - Dragon #346
Watch (DC 20): The animal hides on command and stays quiet even if surprised. While hiding, it tries to stay out of sight until called. The animal trained to scout does not balk in total darkness (DC 5 Handle Animal) or strange environments (DC 10 Handle Animal). It tolerates wearing sound-damping barding, tack, and other special items designed to quiet its passage.
Not-so-Stupid Pet Tricks (Dragon #357)
Long ago, in mankind's shadowy prehistory, when savages first tamed fire and let loose the stream of nonsense sounds that slowly, painfully, became language, they looked upon the other creatures in the world and yearned for their gifts. Raptors, soaring far above, left them longing for wings of their own. Wolves, rivals for the top of the food chain, lurked just beyond the reach of every campfire. Eventually, over the passage of countless generations, humanity managed to strike up partnerships with these ancient adversaries, allowing profit for both sides by pooling their unique abilities. Stretching hack to ancient times, the craft of the falconer and huntsman blends art and science into a seamless whole, profoundly altering the destinies of all three species.
All living creatures enter the world endowed with patterns of behavior bestowed upon them by countless generations of ancestors. People who tame animals, including huntsmen and falconers, spend their days seeking ways to use training or conditioning to adapt these patterns of behavior to their own ends. Sometimes they redirect an instinct toward a different target, other times dampening a behavior so another might fill the breach. The best handlers find ways to make their feral charges perform seemingly impossible feats.
Anyone with ranks in Handle Animal can attempt to teach one or more of the following tricks to an animal. Like all tricks, each requires one week of work and a skill check exceeding the DC of the trick. Each counts toward the maximum number of tricks an animal can learn. Some of these tricks also require special equipment in order to reach their full usefulness or only apply to particular sorts of animals.
Bomb: DC 20 Handle Animal check, must know deliver as well, raptors only. The animal flies above the creature you point at and drops a held object upon it (see bird bombs for some examples). This requires a successful ranged touch attack and, while the animal carries the object, it cannot make talon attacks.
Circle: DC 25 Handle Animal check, must know seek as well, raptors only. By making a successful DC 15 Handle Animal check, you can order the animal to "remember" a creature as a standard action. Whenever you order the animal to hunt for that creature it rises into the air and patrols the vicinity within a 1-mile radius. Every 20 minutes it can make a Spot check to locate the creature if it is in the area. If the animal finds the creature, it rises to a safe altitude and circles overhead, returning to your side after an hour or whenever you approach the creature. The animal can only remember one creature at any given time.
Deliver: DC 20 Handle Animal check. The animal approaches the creature you point at and drops an object within easy reach on the ground. You must give the animal the object it is to convey, and, if carrying this object interferes with the way it normally makes attacks (i.e. in a dog's mouth or a falcon's talons) it must drop it in order to attack.
Disarm: DC 20 Handle Animal check, must know attack as well. The animal attacks and attempts to disarm the creature you designate as its target so long as the target is no more than one size category larger than the animal. The target must actually hold a weapon or similar object in its hands and the animal must succeed at a disarm attempt. The special training of this trick gives the animal a +2 bonus on the disarm check, but it is still subject to an attack of opportunity for making the attempt. If the animal also knows the fetch trick it can bring this object back to you.
Harass: DC 15, must know attack as well. The animal attacks one particular creature you designate, attempting to distract and annoy it rather than deal damage. This trick provokes an attack of opportunity. A successful attack by the animal deals no damage but requires the target to make a Concentration check (DC 10 + HD of the animal + your Cha modifier) or take a -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for 1 round.
Herd: DC 20, must know guard as well, canines only. The animal patrols a perimeter you point out, with a maximum dimension on any particular side equal to its base land speed. It attempts to keep creatures within this area from leaving and new ones from entering. You may also command the animal to nudge creatures inside the perimeter to travel in a direction of your choosing. The animal always attempts to warn a creature first, barking, snarling, and nipping, and attacks to deal nonlethal only if attacked in turn.
Identify Scent: DC 15, must know track as well, animal must possess the scent ability. The animal can identify three different substances by their smell each time it learns this trick. It might know the scent of a plant species, a race of creatures, or anything else with a distinctive smell. Specific individuals do not possess a smell unique enough for the animal to learn. The animal also develops a distinctive way of identifying each smell it knows (such as a varying series of barks) allowing it to reveal which substance it detects.
Silence: DC 10. The animal does not bark or make any other involuntary sound unless you specifically command otherwise.
Many of the feats below require a character to form a partnership with a specific animal (referred to hereafter a your "pet"), such as a raptor or a canine. Any animal companion or creature to whom you have successfully taught a trick using the Handle Animal skill allows you to gain the benefit of these feats.
More
Dwarves, gnomes, and other mountain- and underground-dwelling races have developed training techniques suited to the environments in which they live. These techniques include tricks and a general purpose that can be taught to animals using the Handle Animal skill.
In addition, many surface animals are not comfortable underground or in other unusual environments. The variant rule described in the Mounts in Unusual Environments (see below) provides some simple guidelines on how to handle this.
New Uses for Existing Tricks: If an animal already knows one of the tricks described above, it might be able to apply special abilities it possesses to using that trick.
Come or Heel: An animal that knows either of these tricks will move through a tight space if commanded to do so.
Seek: An animal with the scent ability uses that ability when it seeks. The scent fighting trick (see below) expands this ability, however, so that the animal will point its handler to an invisible creature it can detect by scent.
Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. The following tricks expand upon the list presented above (From the Player's Handbook).
Scent Fighting (DC 20): The animal is trained to help its rider or handler fight against a creature that it cannot see. Each round, the creature takes a move action to locate the direction of a scent and then travels in that direction, stopping when it is within 5 feet of the source of the scent (or at the limit of its movement) and indicating the location of the origin of the scent. An animal must have the scent ability to learn this trick.
Special Movement (DC 20): The animal will use one specific special movement mode it does not normally possess if a spell or other effect grants it that movement mode: flying, burrowing, climbing, or swimming. An animal trained to fly will also air walk.
Train an Animal for a Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. The following general purpose expands upon the list presented above (From the Player's Handbook).
Underground Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained to engage in combat underground, where scent is typically as important as vision in a fight, knows the tricks attack, defend, down, scent fighting, seek, and heel. Training an animal for underground fighting takes six weeks.
Expanded Description - Complete Adventurer
Teach an Animal a Trick: In addition to the tricks found above, the following tricks can be taught to an animal with a successful Handle Animal check (DCs noted below). Some tricks require that the animal already know an existing trick.
Assist Attack (DC 20): The animal aids your attack or that of another creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent when commanding the animal to perform the task. The animal uses the aid another combat action (see page 154 of the Player's Handbook), attempting to grant a bonus on the recipient's next attack roll against the designated opponent. It also flanks the designated opponent, if it can do so without provoking attacks of opportunity. An animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick.
Assist Defend (DC 20): The animal aids your defense or that of another creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent when commanding the animal to perform the task. The animal uses the aid another combat action, attempting to grant a bonus on the recipient's AC against the designated opponent's next attack. An animal must know the defend trick before it can learn this trick.
Assist Track (DC 20): The animal aids your attempt to track. The animal must be present as you attempt a Survival check to track another creature; if the animal succeeds on a DC 10 Survival check, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your Survival check made to track. An animal must have the scent ability and know the track trick before it can learn this trick.
Hold (DC 20): The animal initiates a grapple attack and attempts to hold a designated enemy in its arms, claws, or teeth. An animal with the improved grab ability uses that ability in the attempt; otherwise, the attack provokes attacks of opportunity. An animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick.
Home (DC 20): The animal returns to the location where it was trained to perform this trick, traveling overland as required.
Hunt (DC 15): The animal attempts to hunt and forage for food for you using its Survival skill. While any animal automatically knows how to hunt and forage for its own needs, this trick causes it to return with food rather than simply eating its fill of what it finds.
Stalk (DC 20): The animal follows a designated target, doing its best to remain undetected, until the target is wounded or resting, and then attacks. An animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick.
Steal (DC 20): The animal grabs an object in the possession of a target creature, wrests it away, and brings it to you. If multiple objects are available, the animal attempts to steal a random one. An animal must know the fetch trick before it can learn this trick.
Subdue (DC 20): The animal attacks a designated target creature to deal nonlethal damage, taking a -4 penalty on its attack roll. The animal stops its attack when the target creature lapses into unconsciousness. An animal must know the attack trick 1 before it can learn this trick.
Warn (DC 20): The animal reacts to new creatures coming near, even without any command being given, regardless of whether the animal sees the newcomer, or hears it, or detects the creature with scent. The exact warning sound given (hiss, growl, squawk, bark) varies depending on animal type and the training; this sound is chosen at the time of training and cannot be changed. If the newcomer does not stop after this warning, the animal attacks. As part of the training, the animal can be trained to ignore specific creatures (such as the trainer's allies). An animal must know the guard trick before it can learn this trick.
Train an Animal for a Purpose: The general purposes described here expand on those presented in the Player's Handbook. To be trained for a purpose, an animal must have an Intelligence of 2.
Advanced Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained for advanced fighting knows the tricks assist attack, attack, down, hold, stay, and subdue. Training an animal for advanced fighting takes five weeks. You can also "upgrade" an animal trained for fighting to one trained for advanced fighting by spending two weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew.
Defensive Guarding (DC 20): An animal trained for defensive guarding knows the tricks defend, down, guard, hold, subdue, and warn. Training an animal for defensive guarding takes six weeks. You can also "upgrade" an animal trained for guarding to one trained for defensive guarding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew.
Thievery (DC 20): An animal trained for thievery knows the tricks fetch, heel, home, seek, steal, and work. Training an animal for thievery takes six weeks.
Expanded Description - Stormwrack
Clever animals with natural swimming ability offer a unique way for a human to accomplish tricky work in water. Creatures such as porpoises or seals can swim faster and stay submerged far longer than a human can.
Many animals don't need to be taught to swim. Obviously, any creature with a natural swim speed is perfectly at home in the water. Animals without swim speeds might simply be inclined to swim or disinclined to swim. Chimpanzees, for example, detest water and just don't like to swim. Most dogs, by contrast, take to water with enthusiasm and will likely carry out commands such as fetch or come even if they must swim in order to comply. The swim trick described below is only necessary for animals that otherwise would avoid entering water.
Trick: In addition to the tricks described above, the following tricks are potentially useful in a marine setting.
Dive (DC 15): The animal dives into water as you direct, possibly from heights far above what it would normally attempt. The animal can also swim underwater even if it normally would not do so.
Jump (DC 15): The animal performs a jump as you direct - either a long jump or a high jump. Swimming animals perform these jumps in water, while landbound animals perform these jumps on land.
Swim (DC 15): The animal enters water and swims as you direct or in the pursuit of accomplishing another trick. Most animals don't need to be taught the swim trick; this is only used for teaching an animal to swim that otherwise would not be inclined to do so.
Purpose: General purposes that might be useful in a marine setting include the following.
Fishing (DC 20): An animal trained for fishing knows the following tricks: attack, come, dive, down, fetch, and seek. Diving birds such as cormorants are excellent fishers and are trained to fish on command in some lands.
Messenger (DC 15): An animal trained as a messenger knows the following tricks: come, fetch, seek, and track. Animal messengers can be fitted with small canisters or harnesses to carry short written messages.
Rescue (DC 20): An animal trained for rescue knows the following tricks: come, defend, dive, fetch, seek, and work. Strong swimmers such as porpoises can be trained to aid humanoids in water.
Expanded Description - Races of the Wild
Wandering halflings often rely on their animals for transportation and defense, and halflings have developed many ways to get the most from their animals. Many elves and raptorans have also honed their animal handling techniques.
These techniques include tricks and general purposes that anyone with the Handle Animal skill can teach to animals. For a full description of teaching an animal a trick or training it for a purpose, see above.
Teach an Animal a Trick: You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. The following tricks expand upon those presented above.
Ambush (DC 20): The animal hides, using the Hide skill to the best of its ability. It then stays hidden and attacks the first foe to come close enough for the animal to attack after a single move. The animal must know the attack trick to learn this trick, and it will attack only those kinds of creatures it has been trained to attack and that it recognizes as foes.
The animal will not attack creatures that are familiar to it (such as members of its owner's party) or harmless creatures that it would not otherwise attack (such as birds or squirrels).
You can specify a kind of creature to attack each time you command an animal to perform the ambush trick. Doing this requires a DC 20 Handle Animal check, and you must convey your desire to the animal somehow. If the animal has the scent ability, you can supply the animal with the scent (for example, from a piece of discarded clothing or equipment). You also can show the animal the kind of creature you want ambushed (by pointing to the creature in the distance or showing the animal a captive creature). A speak with animals spell can be handy for designating a kind of creature to ambush.
You can specify a location for the ambush instead of the kind of creature. Doing this also requires a DC 20 Handle Animal check. The place you designate must be a place the animal can reach by taking a single move action, and the animal must be able to see it when you give the ambush command.
Bull Rush (DC 20): The animal attempts to bull rush a designated creature. The animal must know the attack trick to learn this trick, and it will bull rush only those kinds of creatures it has been trained to attack. This trick otherwise works just like the attack trick.
Disarm (DC 20): The animal attempts to disarm a designated creature. The animal must know the attack trick to learn this trick, and it will disarm only those kinds of creatures it has been trained to attack. You designate some item the subject holds or carries, and the animal will try to seize that item. If given no other instructions, the animal attempts to make the subject drop any weapon it holds.
If the animal uses a bite attack (or some other natural weapon that allows it to grasp an object), it winds up holding the target item in its mouth (or grasp) after a successful disarm.
Mark (DC 20): The animal moves toward a creature you designate and endeavors to stay near the creature no matter what it does or how it moves. The animal generally stays within 10 feet of the creature but keeps out of its reach. While performing this trick, the creature makes noise to help mark the foe's location.
If the animal also knows the seek trick, you can designate an area or direction for the animal to seek out foes that are attacking you. To identify a foe the animal must see the creature attack you or use a spell or other magical effect with a visible manifestation in your direction. Otherwise the animal marks the first creature it encounters.
Overrun (DC 20): The animal attempts to overrun a designated creature, provided the animal is big enough to do so. If the animal has the trample special ability, it uses that ability against the creature if the animal is big enough to do so.
Train an Animal for a Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can train it for a general purpose. The following general purposes expand upon those presented above.
Helpmate (DC 20): An animal helpmate serves you or a creature you designate, acting as a companion, guard, and assistant. It knows the tricks come, down, fetch, guard, heel, and stay. Training an animal to be a helpmate takes six weeks.
Herding (DC 20): The animal knows how to drive groups of other animals from place to place and how to keep individuals from wandering away from the herd. It knows the tricks come, down, guard, heel, mark, and seek. Training a herding animal takes six weeks.
Rescue (DC 15): The animal knows how to find and retrieve hurt or incapacitated creatures. It knows the tricks fetch, mark, seek, track, and work. Training a rescue animal takes five weeks.
Variant: Mounts In Unusual Environments
Many normal and even war-trained mounts do not do well in unusual environments. The hold of a storm-tossed warship is no place for a horse, and underground environments make a goliath's dire eagle mount nervous and uncomfortable.
At the DM's option, mounts in unusual environments must make Will saving throws or be overcome with fear. The DC of the saving throw is 10 in an unusual environment, 15 in a disturbing environment, and 20 or more in an obviously dangerous or startling environment. Failing the saving throw by 9 or less leaves a mount shaken. Failing the saving throw by 10 or more causes a mount to cower. A mount can retry this saving throw every hour.
A skilled animal handler can substitute his Handle Animal check result for the mount's Will save. Similarly, a skilled rider can substitute his Ride check result for the mount's Will save. In both cases, the mount uses the handler's skill check result or its saving throw result, whichever is higher.
Expanded Description - Races of the Dragon
You can use Handle Animal to handle, train, and rear draconic animals, but since such creatures are magical beasts, you take a -4 penalty on the check to do so. Animals and magical beasts with the half dragon template can't normally be affected with this skill. For such creatures, see the Dragon Trainer feat.
Tricks from Masters of the Wild (adapted)
See related tricks above
Armor: The animal is willing to accept the burden of armor.
Assist Attack: The animal aids your attack or that of another creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent. The animal makes one attack roll per round it is assisting. If it hits AC 10, the creature it is aiding gains a +2 circumstance bonus on attack rolls against the designated opponent until the animal's next turn.
Assist Defend: The animal aids your defense or that of another creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent. The animal makes one attack roll per round it is assisting. If I it hits AC 10, the creature it is aiding gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the designated opponent until the animal's next turn.
Assist Track: The animal aids your attempt to track. If its Survival check (DC 10) succeeds, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks made for tracking.
Calm: This trick lets an animal deal with dungeon environments. It becomes willing to move through or rest quietly in darkness, to skirt ledges around pits, and to climb up slanted passages and staircases. When the situation requires it, the animal even allows itself to be harnessed for travel over vertical surfaces.
Hold: The animal initiates a grapple attack and attempts to hold a designated enemy in its arms, claws, or teeth. An animal with the improved grab ability uses that in the attempt; otherwise, the attack provokes an attack of opportunity.
Home: The animal returns to a preset location, traveling overland as required.
Hunt: The animal attempts to hunt food for you (and any others you designate) and bring it back through the use of Survival Lore. While an animal automatically knows how to hunt for its own needs, this trick causes it to return with food rather than simply eating its fill of what it finds.
Subdue: The animal attacks a designated target creature to subdue it, suffering a -4 penalty on its attack roll. The attack trick (above) is a prerequisite for this one.
Stalk: The animal follows a designated target, doing its best to remain undetected, until the target is wounded or resting, and then attacks.
Steal: In this variation on the fetch command, the animal grabs an object in the possession of a target creature, wrests it away, and brings it to you. If multiple objects are available, the animal attempts to steal a random one.