WoW Forever Hunter pets

WoW Forever Hunter pet families and their abilities

Every family can learn Bite or Claw and Dash or Dive, and has one ability only it learns. Click a family for its abilities rank by rank and where to tame one.

Family	Its own ability	Also learns	Diet
Bat	Sonic BlastNew	Bite, Dive	Fungus, Fruit
Bear	SwipeNew	Bite, Claw, Dash	Meat, Fish, Cheese, Bread, Fungus, Fruit
Bird of Preywas Owl	Mine!New	Claw, Dive	Meat
Boar	Charge	Bite, Dash	Meat, Fish, Cheese, Bread, Fungus, Fruit
Carrion Bird	Demoralizing Screech	Bite, Claw, Dive	Meat, Fish
Cat	Prowl	Bite, Claw, Dash	Meat, Fish
Crab	PinchNew	Claw, Dash	Fish, Bread, Fungus, Fruit
Crocolisk	DismemberNew	Bite, Dash	Meat, Fish
FoxNew	Trickster's DanceNew	Bite, Dash	Meat
Gorilla	Thunderstomp	Bite, Dash	Fungus, Fruit
Hyena	Tendon RipNew	Bite, Dash	Meat, Fruit
Raptor	Savage RendNew	Bite, Claw, Dash	Meat
Scorpid	Scorpid Poison	Claw, Dash	Meat
Spider	WebNew	Bite, Dash	Meat
Tallstrider	Dust CloudNew	Bite, Dash	Cheese, Fungus, Fruit
Turtle	Shell Shield	Bite, Dash	Fish, Fungus, Fruit, Raw Fish
Wind Serpent	Lightning Breath	Bite, Dive	Fish, Cheese, Bread
Wolf	Furious Howl	Bite, Dash	Meat

New pet abilities in WoW Forever

10 pet abilities are new in WoW Forever. Most have five ranks, learned at pet levels 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60; the top rank does this:

• Sonic Blast (Bat, 5 ranks): Emits a piercing shriek, inflicting 77 to 91 Nature damage and increasing the casting time of all spells by 30% for 20 sec.
• Swipe (Bear, 5 ranks): Swipe 3 nearby enemies, inflicting 20 to 22 damage.
• Mine! (Bird of Prey, 5 ranks): Grabs an enemy's weapon with its talons, causing 41 to 47 damage and disarming them for 3 sec.
• Pinch (Crab, 5 ranks): Pinches an enemy's legs for 88 to 102 damage and reduces movement speed by 50% for 9 sec.
• Dismember (Crocolisk, 5 ranks): Viciously bites enemy appendages for 50 to 58 damage and reduces the effectiveness of any healing by 25% for 6 sec.
• Trickster's Dance (Fox): Increases your pet's chance to Dodge by 50% and decreases the time between your pet's attacks by 30% for 12 sec.
• Tendon Rip (Hyena, 5 ranks): Tears at an enemy's legs for 60 damage over 9 sec and reduces movement speed by 50% for 9 sec.
• Savage Rend (Raptor, 5 ranks): Slash an enemy with razor talons, causing the target to Bleed for 156 damage over 18 sec.
• Web (Spider, 5 ranks): Entangles an enemy in a corrosive web, immobilizing them and dealing 52 Nature damage over 4 sec.
• Dust Cloud (Tallstrider, 5 ranks): Your tallstrider kicks up an abrasive cloud of dust, reducing the target's Armor by 505 for 30 sec.

Best Hunter pet in WoW Forever

There's no single best pet: each family's own ability decides what it's for. What players and testers pick, family by family:

Best pet for leveling

Bear, Boar, Carrion Bird, Cat, Turtle

Best pet for PvP

Bat, Cat, Crocolisk, Spider, Wind Serpent

Best pet for raids and dungeons

Cat, Wolf

These picks are players' consensus from the beta, not Blizzard's word, and they follow the abilities above.

Hunter pets on Hardcore in WoW Forever

On one life, the pet is your tank. Blizzard says Hunters "can utilize their pet as a tank in solo and small group play" (class deep dive, Sep 30). What keeps it that way:

• Keep Growl on. A pet that loses a mob sends it to you: creators' Hardcore deaths in the beta came from exactly that, around level 22 at the Bael'dun Digsite.
• Tame somewhere quiet. Tame Beast is a 20-second channel from 30 yards, and your armor drops by 100% while you channel it (game files, build 1.60.1.70532). Testers report a stun or knockdown breaks the tame.
• Pick a pet that holds a crowd. The Bear's Swipe hits three enemies and the Carrion Bird's Demoralizing Screech hits everything around it, so both keep adds off you.
• Levels 1 to 9 come before your first pet. Creators found the starting-zone beasts that charge in are the rough part before you have one.
• Feign Death is the way out. It drops you from combat while the pet holds on, and Survival's Survival Tactics now also raises its chance to work (Blizzard, Sep 30).

Deaths and tips from creators are their reports from the beta, not Blizzard's word. Every Hardcore danger by zone is on WoW Forever rare spawns and each zone's map.

Pet attack speed in WoW Forever

In WoW Forever a pet's attack speed comes from a hidden passive in its spellbook. A pet without one swings every 2.0 seconds; these change that:

The swing is worked out from each passive's attack-speed change on a 2.0-second pet; the percentages are the game files'.

Where to tame pets in WoW Forever

The lowest-level place we know for each family. Each family's page lists more, with rares and the levels they're found at.

Taming and training rules in WoW Forever

• The WoW Forever client has 19 hunter pet families, one more than Classic Era: Fox (family 319) is new, and Owl (family 26) is renamed Bird of Prey (build 1.60.1.70450). (game files, 2026-10-16: Forever client data, CreatureFamily, build 1.60.1.70450, Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• Fox is a new family with its own ability, Trickster's Dance: +50% dodge and 30% faster attacks for 12 s, 3 min cooldown, 10 Focus, from pet level 20 (Blizzard, Sep 30; numbers from the client, build 70450). (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30), Forever client data, spell 1310612, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Owls are now called Bird of Prey. It is the same family (ID 26) with the same diet and scale; its pet skill line was renamed too (client, build 70450; Blizzard's Sep 30 deep dive says 'formerly Owl'). (game files, 2026-09-30: Forever client data, CreatureFamily and SkillLine 655, build 1.60.1.70450, Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• Every family learns Bite or Claw (some both), Dive or Dash, and one ability only that family has (Blizzard, Sep 30). Dash went from 5 families in Classic Era to 14 in Forever (client, build 70450). (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30), Forever client data, SkillLineAbility, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Pets get more stats from their hunter's gear (Blizzard, Sep 30). The client carries one Hunter Pet Scaling aura on every family, but its amounts are filled in by the server, so the exact shares are not known. (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30), Blizzard, Class Highlights Part 2 (Oct 3): armor raises pet stats)
• Creators repeat one community list: the pet gets 10% of your higher attack power, 100% of your crit, 30% of your armor and 2 health per Stamina. Nobody has shown it measured, and the client can't confirm it. (players report, 2026-10-05: Kargoz, 1-60 BM Leveling Guide (Oct 5), Dameo, The Ultimate Hunter Guide (Sep 27))
• Pets can no longer receive player buffs that raise their stats, such as Mark of the Wild or Arcane Intellect (Blizzard, Sep 30). (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• You can't tame a beast above your own level (Blizzard, Sep 24 development notes). Before that fix, testers tamed beasts up to two levels higher. (Blizzard, 2026-09-24: Blizzard, beta development notes (Sep 24))
• Hunters tame their first pet at level 10 through a class quest. Skyborne and Human Hunters have new 'Taming the Beast' chains with their own taming rods (QuestieDB; client items, build 70450). (database, 2026-10-16: Wowhead, Taming the Beast (Skyborne), Forever client data, Taming Rod items, build 1.60.1.70450)
• On Oct 1 Blizzard fixed tameable beasts that carried pet ability ranks too high for their level, and warned this could look like a pet 'forgetting' an ability. (Blizzard, 2026-10-01: Blizzard, beta development notes (Oct 1))
• Aggressive mode came back on Oct 1 and sits under the pet tab of the spellbook (Blizzard). The client's gamepad pet flyout in build 70450 still has no Aggressive button, only Passive, Defensive and Assist. (Blizzard, 2026-10-01: Blizzard, beta development notes (Oct 1), Forever UI source, Blizzard_GamepadActionBars PetClassFlyouts.xml, build 1.60.1.70450)
• On Sep 24 Blizzard added gamepad pet control and pet spell flyouts and stopped the pet bar from replacing the bottom gamepad bar; the stable window was updated for gamepad on Oct 1. (Blizzard, 2026-09-24: Blizzard, beta development notes (Sep 24), Blizzard, beta development notes (Oct 1))
• Oct 15 nerfs (build 70425): Dismember now cuts healing by 25% for 6 s on a 15 s cooldown (was 50%, 10 s, 6 s); Sonic Blast slows casts by 30% for 20 s on a 60 s cooldown (was 60%, 30 s, 30 s); Mine! disarms for 3 s on a 90 s cooldown (was 4 s, 60 s). The client matches every number. (Blizzard, 2026-10-15: Blizzard, beta development notes (Oct 15), Wowhead news, Oct 15)
• Since Oct 15 (build 70425) pets benefit from Expertise and take whichever of the hunter's melee or ranged crit chance is higher; before, they always used melee crit (Blizzard). (Blizzard, 2026-10-15: Blizzard, beta development notes (Oct 15))
• Furious Howl is now a melee attack power buff for party or raid members within 15 yards, 1 min, 30 s cooldown. The 40% cut Blizzard listed on Sep 24 reached the client in build 70170, and the change to raid members in build 70425 is in no Blizzard post. (game files, 2026-10-15: Forever client data, spells 24604, 24605, 24603, 24597, builds 1.60.1.70170 and 1.60.1.70425, Blizzard, beta development notes (Sep 24))
• Testers report that around build 70450 pets of one family started dealing about the same damage whatever their attack speed; one measured The Rake at level 30 going from 62 to 43 DPS. Blizzard's Oct 15 notes don't mention it. (players report, 2026-10-16: EU forums, 'Hunter pets were nerfed' (Oct 16))
• Before that, testers measured fast pets well ahead: two level 30 wolves with the same stats did 46.59 and 36.86 total DPS at 1.2 and 2.0 swing speed (Oct 8). (players report, 2026-10-08: US forums, 'Hunter Pet Choice Is Being Undermined by Attack Speed and Family Balance' (Oct 8))
• The client has new pet passives Faster Attack I-VII (+17%, +25%, +33%, +43%, +54%, +67%, +100% attack speed) and Slower Attack II-III (-20%, -26%). Which beast gets which is decided by the server (build 70450). (game files, 2026-10-16: Forever client data, spells 1263099-1263114, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Testers report the Faster and Slower Attack passives come with the beast and can't be taught to another pet through Beast Training. (players report, 2026-10-13: Kargoz, ULTIMATE Hunter Pet Guide (Oct 5))
• Each family's hidden passive in the client still holds Classic Era's damage, armor and health modifiers (for example Cat +10% damage, Turtle -10% damage and +13% armor); Fox uses the Wolf one, +5% armor (build 70450). The server could still apply other values. (game files, 2026-10-16: Forever client data, Tamed Pet Passive spells, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Sonic Blast has no teach spell in the client, so a hunter can't learn it from one bat to teach another (build 70450). Blizzard fixed bats not getting it on Sep 24. (game files, 2026-09-24: Forever client data, Beast Training and SkillLine 653, build 1.60.1.70450, Blizzard, beta development notes (Sep 24))
• The stable holds 2 pets besides your active one, bought for 5 silver and 5 gold, as in Classic Era (client, build 70450). A developer said on Oct 1 that they started small and plan ways to unlock more. (Blizzard, 2026-10-01: WoW Forever Podcast Ep. 2 (Oct 1), Forever client data and UI source, MAX_STABLE_SLOTS = 2, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Happiness still sets pet damage at 75% unhappy, 100% content and 125% happy (client, build 70450, same as Classic Era). Blizzard fixed happiness not dropping at max loyalty on Sep 24; testers say it drains much more slowly than in Classic. (game files, 2026-09-24: Forever client data, PetPersonality, build 1.60.1.70450, Blizzard, beta development notes (Sep 24))
• The client keeps loyalty levels (Rebellious to Best Friend) and the trainer window shows a training point counter for pet skills, but the point costs come from the server. Testers report points work as in Classic: pet level times (loyalty minus 1). (game files, 2026-10-13: Forever client data, PetLoyalty and Blizzard_TrainerUI, build 1.60.1.70450, Warcraft Tavern, hunter pet abilities)
• Core Hound is a family in the client (ID 312, Lava Breath), but it is not in Blizzard's Forever family list and the only Core Hounds are level 61-62 Molten Core elites, above the level cap. No source shows one you can tame. (database, 2026-10-21: Forever client data, CreatureFamily 312, build 1.60.1.70450, Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• Testers report a pet's XP stops at its hunter's level, and replies on the US forums say that is intended (Oct 13). (players report, 2026-10-13: US forums, 'Hunter Pet XP Issue' (Oct 13))
• There are no pet talent trees in WoW Forever: the client has only the 27 class trees (build 70450). Players asking about pet talents mean Beast Mastery talents. (game files, 2026-10-16: Forever client data, TalentTab, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Lone Wolf, a new Marksmanship talent, gives +20% damage with no pet out, so a hunter can play without a pet (Blizzard, Sep 30). (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• Summon Hawk, a new Beast Mastery talent, sends a hawk at your target for 18 s, up to 2 at once, and shares Arcane Shot's cooldown (Blizzard, Sep 30). Unleashed Fury and Ferocity now say 'pets and hawks'. (Blizzard, 2026-09-30: Blizzard, Class Deep Dive: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30))
• Tame Beast is a 20 s channel from 30 yards, and your armor drops by 100% while you channel it (client, build 70450). Testers report a stun or knockdown breaks the tame. (game files, 2026-10-16: Forever client data, spell 1515, build 1.60.1.70450)
• Dash and Dive rank 1 need pet level 30 in the client (build 70450). One tester reports Dash couldn't be taught until 32 in the level 30 beta, and that only Razorfen Kraul's bats taught Dive 1. (game files, 2026-10-04: Forever client data, SpellLevels, build 1.60.1.70450, Robcat, Pet Family Abilities level 30 update (Oct 4))

Abilities every WoW Forever pet can learn

Beside its family's abilities, any pet can train these at a pet trainer, with training points:

• Arcane Resistance (4 ranks)
• Cower (6 ranks)
• Fire Resistance (4 ranks)
• Frost Resistance (4 ranks)
• Great Stamina (10 ranks)
• Growl (7 ranks)
• Natural Armor (10 ranks)
• Nature Resistance (4 ranks)
• Shadow Resistance (4 ranks)

Known Hunter pet bugs in the WoW Forever beta

• Testers report that resetting a pet's training deletes its Faster Attack passive, and the pet drops to a 2.0 swing. (unknown, reported Oct 6-11, 2026)
• Testers report Great Stamina and Natural Armor from Beast Training don't visibly raise the pet's health or armor, and Beast Lore no longer shows a beast's abilities, speed or type. (unknown, reported Oct 11, 2026)
• Testers report new tames come out set to Aggressive. It may be on purpose after Aggressive mode came back on Oct 1. (unknown, reported Oct 10, 2026)
• Testers report Prairie Wolf Alphas in Mulgore no longer teach Furious Howl 1, likely a side effect of the Oct 1 rank fix. Tirisfal and Silverpine worgs still do. (unknown, reported Oct 12-13, 2026)
• The teach tooltips for Furious Howl still describe the old 'next Physical attack' effect, and Savage Rend's teach tooltip adds a bleed-damage-taken line the pet spell doesn't have. (open, 1.60.1.70450)
• Shell Shield slows the turtle's attacks by 60% as a speed modifier, so a 2.0 swing becomes 5.0 on the pet sheet, not 3.2 as '+60% time between attacks' suggests. (open, 1.60.1.70450)
• Improved Mend Pet raised Mend Pet's mana cost instead of lowering it. (fixed, 1.60.1.70425)
• Summon Hawk's hawks now spawn at and stick to the target they were cast on. (fixed, 1.60.1.70425)
• Ferocity's pet crit bonus isn't shown on the character sheet. Blizzard says it is visual only. (open, 1.60.1.70291)
• Hunter pets repeatedly gained health when at low health. (fixed, 1.60.1.70291)
• Unleashed Fury didn't actually raise pet damage. (fixed, 1.60.1.70291)
• Testers report pet AI problems: a /petdefensive macro fails, pets disengage when the hunter eats or bandages, Dismember ignores autocast and /petassist is unreliable. (unknown, reported Oct 3, 2026)
• Pets lose abilities on logout, dismiss or a stable swap, per many tester reports. Blizzard's Oct 1 rank fix explains part of it (over-ranked tames were corrected). (unknown, reported Sep 23 to Oct 11, 2026)
• Testers report Vuldren pets can't use Beast Training, and the Vuldren Alpha from the Skyborne taming quest loses its two starting spells on dismiss. (unknown, reported Sep 24-29, 2026)
• A tester reports boar Charge doesn't fire on autocast, so he macros it. (unknown, reported Sep 26, 2026)
• Some new tames (Slydris, Nightscreech) couldn't learn Growl or Screech, per testers. (unknown, reported Sep 25-26, 2026)
• The Cooldown Manager can't track pet cooldowns. Later notes added racials and Rogue to it but didn't list pet cooldowns as fixed. (unknown, 1.60.1.70009)
• Pet happiness didn't drop once the pet reached max loyalty. (fixed, 1.60.1.70009)
• Sonic Blast wasn't properly available to Bat pets. (fixed, 1.60.1.70009)
• Untalenting Lone Wolf left a -4% damage penalty with a pet out. (fixed, 1.60.1.70009)
• The character sheet shows pet Hit without the master's coefficient, doesn't show pet Expertise, and shows wrong base pet movement speed. Pets started benefiting from Expertise on Oct 15; the display issues were not listed as fixed. (unknown, 1.60.1.69913)