The original ranger got random, rather unusual, followers at 8th level, I think it was. It could include something like a band of pixies or a green dragon, IIRC. They also got the 1st level Druid Animal Friendship spell, which could be - and, can be in 5e -used to get an animal or few to hang out with you, Grizzly-Adams-style.
So, yeah, the Druid and Ranger, from the beginning, could have 'pets.'
It's not like archery & TWF, which the original ranger wasn't especially well-suited to, and, indeed, based on it's considerable stat qualifications, was if anything less likely to have the DEX to do well.