Basically.<br/><br/>Animal companions get free training, which is the equivalent of handle animal applied to them, stuff like 'go there, guard this, start/stop stealing people's underwear.'<br/><br/>As a druid it's generally a good idea to back off your animal empathy with some skill checks, I mean, it's not necessary, but it's like a wizard without spellcraft or a rogue without stealth, you certainly dun need it to be effective, but people kinda assume it stereotypically..