Buy handle animal ranks. You don't need the feat to have a pet: the feat just makes the pet level up with you.
Yes, handle animal has a bunch of tricks listed for animals, along with DCs to get pets to perform them. Pirates with parrots would use this system.
So I thought I'd bump this thread to note that the printed softcover book "Creatures of Freeport" contains a section with a bunch of interesting extra tricks.
I had known that the PHB stated that animal tricks could be invented, and I liked the idea, but I guess I wasn't creative enough to think up extras. So I really enjoyed the Creatures of Freeport text. In fact, I just noticed that it was specifically put out as Open Gaming Content, so I'll list something short about each right here.
Carry Message (DC 15) - Use up a trick to teach an animal to deliver messages to a particular location. If the animal
also has Seek Individual, the message may be delivered to that particular individual.
Distract (DC 20) - The animal doesn't attack but instead jumps/flies around annoying the enemy. Enemy must make DC 15 Will save, or suffer -3 to attack/damage/skills while animal is being annoying.
Howl (DC 15) - The animal makes a noise on command or in response to a trigger.
Perform (DC 15) - Entertainment such as a bird singing a song or a dog shaking hands. Sorta open-ended. Animals can do 2 simple things per Intelligence point.
Seek Individual (DC 25) - Animal finds a
known person by scent or "exceptional senses and other abilities."
Speak Message (DC 25) - Complicated. First, teach an animal capable of speech (certain birds)
to speak, DC 25. Next, DC 15 + 1 per word, teach phrases. It can learn 2 phrases per Intelligence point. Each phrase needs a check to learn. Next, apparently with no DC, have the creature speak phrases on triggers, such as someone entering a room.
Steal (DC 20) - The animal picks up something it finds interesting (shiny, foody) and brings it to the master.
If you can communicate with the animal, you can name your target.
Warning (DC 15) - The animal can be trained to alert its master to a threat, by behaving a certain way. This can be coupled with Howl, or else it can be a new apparently harmless/irrelevant action, such as having a dog roll over 3 times.
