How much training does an animal companion enter play with?

Question

My Ranger has just entered 4th level and I've decided to use his Hunter's Bond to gain an Animal Companion. However, the rules detailing companions are not clear on how much training they enter play with (beyond what it says about bonus tricks on page 52:

These bonus tricks don't require any training time or Handle Animal checks,…

What about the other tricks (typically six for a Int 2 Animal Companion) that the companion is capable of learning?

Also, can this bonus trick detailed above be General Purpose training? This is assuming got course the animal doesn't start play with all possible tricks, otherwise it is doesn't provide any benefit.

Finally, this is not for Pathfinder Society which does state that the first Animal Companion gained enters play with all tricks known that are possible.

Answer 1

It doesn't come pre-trained, but it does get the bonus tricks (obviously) and those can certainly include a General Purpose if you want them to and you have enough bonus tricks. Please note that a General Purpose is no different than the tricks that make it up except in terms of training time and effective check difficulty-- you get no benefit from choosing tricks that add up to a general purpose as bonus tricks. (There is a possible exception to this involving non-aggressive herbivores and combat training, but it's complicated).

Pushing an animal commands it to do a trick it isn't trained for but can perform, and is DC 25 (+2 if it's hurt). Because you are a ranger pushing your companion is a move action, v.s. the free action for handling it.