Oracles of nature can get one with a 6 int to start.
So can Paladins, but it takes a few levels more.
Beastrider Cavaliers can get a normally medium mount as large.
Mammoth Riders can get normally large as huge.
Be an Antipaladin. They have the best companion mechanics of any class.
Ok most awesomist AC
1) Go nature oracle for 1 level to get a smarter AC
2) Primal companion hunter gets you an AC with spontaneous evolution points and makes AC from different sources stack
3) Beast rider cavalier which continues with the upgrades
4) Aasamar with Celestial servant feat gets AC
End result? Larger stronger smarter Dire Tiger that can spontaneously gain some evolutions
I dunno Doomed Hero. It's just a permanent Summon Monster spell. You can't even customize the creature with its own feats and skills and whatnot. It's certainly not worth giving up the other Fiendish Boon.
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Half-Elf, or Aasimar Nature Oracle, with the Monstrous Mount feat, and all the favored class bonuses into +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of the Mount Revelation.
Choose Worg.
Why Worg?
Well, the medium size keeps it viable in all environments, it's smart, has Darkvision, Low-Light Vision, Scent, a +2 Racial Bonus Perception, Stealth, and Survival, more importantly, it speaks.
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If your Animal Companion gets INT of at least 5 and WIS at least 9 then a 7th level cleric can Imbue with Spell Ability. Spell choice is quite limited, but your AC can be a spell caster.
If you ride the right sort of mount you can both take the Paired Opportunists feat, which can be very effective.
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What I really want is a way to get an Animal Companion with a ranged attack (besides camel).
Vermin companion Giant Slug.
Slug, Giant
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 20 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack tongue (1d4 plus 1 acid); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 8, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1; Special Attacks spit acid (ranged touch attack, 30 foot range, 1d6 acid damage); Special Qualities blindsense 30 ft., DR 5/slashing or piercing, susceptible to salt (Bestiary 254); CMD can't be tripped.7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +2 natural armor; Attack tongue (1d6 plus 1d2 acid); Ability Scores Str +2, Dex –2, Con +2; Special Attacks spit acid (ranged touch attack, 30-foot range, 1d8 acid damage); Special Qualities blindsight 30 ft.
If you are a verminous hunter, it's very nice. Be a human with eye for talent and it even starts with 2 INT.
Improved Share Spell works wonders, especially with a sylvan sorcerer casting polymorph spells.
First and foremost, don't forget that this thing exists.
Other than that, try the Leadership feat if you don't mind waiting until level 7. All the Bestiaries have viable monster Cohorts, not exactly an animal companion but you should be able to find something fun.
And I'll second Antipaladin as the most versatile, being able to choose off of the Summon Monster lists and adding the Fiendish template if they choose an animal.
The Hunter class is great with the animal aspects, too. Humans can take Eye for Talent to grant a +2 to one of their companion's stats, and their Hunter favored class bonus adds a skill rank to the companion. They also have an archetype that gets vermin companions, which has an aspect for fast healing.
Also, if you're just interested in versatility and not so much on combat usefulness, Familiars can do a lot of interesting things as well. Don't ignore Improved Familiar, and/or Evolved Familiar. I'm particularly fond of the small air elemental.
Lastly, you could always go Human Antipaladin with Eye For Talent, picking up Skill Focus at level 1, Eldrich Heritage (Arcane) at level 3 for a Familiar, Improved Familiar AND your Fiendish Dinosaur at level 5, with Vile Leadership at level 7...gaining a Human Hunter Cohort who also has Eye For Talent, and takes Skill Focus, Eldrich Heritage, and Improved Familiar feats... Just don't do this unless you want to be banned from the group. :P
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Half-Elf, or Aasimar Nature Oracle, with the Monstrous Mount feat, and all the favored class bonuses into +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of the Mount Revelation.
Choose Worg.
Why Worg?
Well, the medium size keeps it viable in all environments, it's smart, has Darkvision, Low-Light Vision, Scent, a +2 Racial Bonus Perception, Stealth, and Survival, more importantly, it speaks.
You forgot the Undersized Mount feat.
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Am I weird in that I think that animal companions are versatile enough as is? There is an incredible variety of what is available, and with eye for talent or other ways to raise intelligence, they can be trained to do a wide variety of tricks.
Granted, I wouldn't say no to the lovely abilities granted by Spirit's Gift (flying starry tigers! blurry tigers! tigers with fast healing! -- yes, you guessed it, I have a tiger...)
I'm not sure that I really want some of the weirder things in Evolved Companion, but I would strongly consider +8 to a skill. Add it the tiger's already phenomenal perception! Or if you must be pounce-obsessed, you can add pounce to a creature that doesn't have it already... or other things.
I also love all the options with familiars. If you want a ranged attack that is powerful, maybe you want to look at some of the familiar abilities.
Hmm
Time for the troll answer but play a summoner...
It's like you get a completely customizable animal companion that can look pretty much like however you want.
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Why not try a summoner?It's just not calling out to me to play one. That's about the easiest way to explain it I guess. I'm just not feeling the pull to that class.
I feel you. I love summoners in Final Fantasy, and while I like the idea of them being in pathfinder, I have no desire at all to actually play one.
3 Words.
Primal Companion Hunter.
Ever wanted to ride a flying cow into battle that has pounce? Ever wanted to play a sticky lovecraftian panda with tentacles for a face? Ever wanted to use a sub-optimal animal companion in general? Ever wanted more free teamwork feats than you can shake a stick at?
Eidolin+Animal Comapnion+lots of teamwork feats all in one class
Who cares about an evolved companion? You have that for minutes a day, long enough for any combat. Plus everything else people here said in regards to feats, spells, and equipment. Spirit's gift works, armor is fantastic, etc etc.
Like really, if you want an animal companion PCH is the way to go. Especially if you want to joust.
I will be playing as a PCH with a Flying Auroch soon, 3x Damage on a charge with my lance AND full attacks from my animal companion on the same target WITH Pack flanking...soooo good.
Well, if you like throwing teamwork feats around, have you considered Cavalier? Not a lot of mount options unless you go for a small race and/or take the beast-riding archetype, but if you play around with the various options there are some interesting things you can do. And unlike Hunter or Inquisitor, you're spreading teamwork feats to the whole party.
PCH lasts in minutes per hunter level, but the evolution scales with Hunter level. The more levels you have the more points you can get and the more you have access too. It probably isn't worth a dip, IMO.
There is a Human alternate racial trait Eye For Talent that lets you add +2 to an animal companions ability score of your choice.