Riding War Dog From Heck.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Even in the RW, you can find examples of animal armor with horns or blades- essentially, D&D "spiked armor."

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2SLq5ubrbls/TEmsFpj5asI/AAAAAAAAA7c/DdCnnlUYiQc/s320/dogarmour.jpg

http://www.dipnoid.com/images/dog-armor.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2SLq5ubrb...68/B6GGJjpsXXk/s1600/dogarmour+chain+mail.jpg

(OK, these aren't from museum collections, but...)

After you give your war-dog some Gene Simmons-esque paw-wear, you can even enchant it with magic. Venomous? Keen? Brillant Energy? Your PC's bank vault is the limit!

 

[jefgorbach]

Incidentally, can your special mount take class levels and use command word items... if it's a dog?

yes. The dmg/srd clearly states a paladin's Special Mount is a magical beast with a min(intelligence:6) and the Celestial template. Therefore it could advance like any other magial beast by taking additional racial hit dice, templates, or classes - thus it could per RAW although many GM's veto the idea.
See Unicorn:Celestrial Charger for an official example of a 7th level Clerical unicorn.

However its lack of -SPEECH- prevents the use Command-Word items, unless it was specifically designed in accordance ... ie: the "word" being Neigh at a specific tone/pitch?? such a word would be far more difficult to learn/teach since while the Identify/etc would reveal it, chances are the Caster's vocal cords would be unable to communicate it properly to the Paladin/Mount.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

However its lack of -SPEECH- prevents the use Command-Word items, unless it was specifically designed in accordance ... ie: the "word" being Neigh at a specific tone/pitch?? such a word would be far more difficult to learn/teach since while the Identify/etc would reveal it, chances are the Caster's vocal cords would be unable to communicate it properly to the Paladin/Mount.

Which is why I'm assuming having the animal itself present for the item's creation, and have the animal itself provide the command word at whatever phase of the item creation, would work. In the same way that the Magical Item crafter can have an external individual provide the needed spell at an appropriate time, I'm assuming it'd be considerably less complicated to have the item's user provide the command word.
There is no specific rule that states that someone else can provide the command word, I'm reasoning this from the fact that if someone else can provide the spell, the provision of a command word must be simpler, therefore doable. Any DM who wanted to veto this would have the right to do so.

 

[Visigani]

Or... can just permanently cast "Tongues" on the damn thing.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Or... can just permanently cast "Tongues" on the damn thing.

Word. Why didn't I think of that?...

...¬.¬

Another option would be to have someone cast a Tongues and Permanency spell on your dog so it can speak and understand any language of any intelligent creature. Or enchant an item that granted the same, either permanently or a significant number of times per day and equip it on your dog. This might make your dog more versatile than you!