Animal Companion Bonus Tricks Question

[Tyler Durden]

Under the Bonus Tricks description it says:

The value given in this column is the total number of "bonus" tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the druid might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The druid selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

I'm most interested in the second sentance. Does a strick RAW reading of the rule mean that bonus tricks don't require any Handle Animal checks at all (including the DC 10 check required to command an animal to perform trick that it knows), or that they simply don't require Handle Animal checks related to training the animal to preform the trick?

Edit: Just to be clear, I don't claim that I'm perfectly objective and just looking for the consensus answer here. I've been having an argument with a friend about this and I believe that it's impossible to get the second reading of the rule without adding extra text (such as "related to training" right after "don't require any training or Handle Animal checks"). For people who disagree, I'd like to know how your reading is supported by the rules.

 

[Sithobi1]

The way I read it, it says "These bonus tricks dont require any training (time or Handle Animal checks), and they don't count against the normal limit of tricks..."

 

[Tyler Durden]

The way I read it...

But it doesn't actually seperate the sentance that way, does it?

 

[Vegepygmy]

I don't claim that I'm perfectly objective and just looking for the consensus answer here.

If you're looking for the consensus answer, I say no, the rules are referring to Handle Animal checks made to teach the animal tricks, not Handle Animal checks to handle or push the animal.

If you're looking for someone to agree that the RAW is sloppily worded, I'll do that, too.