Hunter Pet Help

So my hunter is soon-to-be level 80, and there's something I'm curious about:

I know that wolves are supposedly the best pet for endgame PvE due to their Attack Power buff, but how much a difference is it compared to other ferocity pets?

Because I've been really liking some of the other species (exotic stuff like Corehounds or Spirit Beasts) and I'm wondering if using those would be 'acceptable' (in a similar sense to having non-Engineering professions instead of Engineering) or if it's absolutely mandatory to keep to wolves.

Also, do I have to stable my current pet to tame another? (I assume this to be the case, but asking just to clarify)

If you have other suggestions for cool/cute/pretty-looking pets to keep as collection, please let me know as well!

Thank you in advance :)

The thing is, with the wolf as a pet, you will have your dps significally increased, he gives 20 sec. buff to both himself and you, for the amount of 320 attack power, and yes, in the game, you can see the difference, and it is not a small amount of dps. Can not really provide you with exact number, because it variates, as you progress. But yes difference can be seen.

Now, if you are looking to min max your dps, then yes, MM specced hunter with the wolf as pet is simply the best choice.
But however if you just want to have fun and enjoy your class, and everything it offers, then pretty much any pet is viable enough, as long as you do not fail other crucial parts of the class. As for other pets, only pet who can compete with wolf, is the devilsaur (only availbale as BM).

Spirit beasts in this expansion do look beautiful and it is the expansion when they were introduced, but unfortunately Blizzard, decided to ignore all that, and give them so low dps, without any important unique buff, so when you take spirit beast, yes they look amazing, they are beautiful, but your dps will be same as if you tamed random tiger or bear (including the skoll too, who, even if look as a wolf, and well, by the design is the wolf, still has all the abilities, as any random cat), only spell that spirit beasts do have, which is unique, is "Spirit Strike", which does small amounts of arcane damage (but we are not a mage, are we...).
So, as anoying, as it is, developers simply decided to make amazing looking pets, and then make them, almost to the bottom of the dps input.

So all comes to what you really prefer to do, if you look to min/max your hunter, yes wolf as MM spec, is indeed the best choice... If you want to just have fun, pretty much everything is viable, and every spec is viable.

More important stuff is to know your class, and use the spec you decide to play to full potential, there are so many players who use right pet, have right gear, but for example completely ignore trackings, or refreshing Serpent sting after they finish with using aspect of viper, eating wrong food, forgetting about food for pet, keeping their pet as unhappy, forgetting to use the pet abilities, ignoring traps, which in certain situations do increase dps output if used right, or just not standing in a place while dps, etc etc....

So, the pet topic, comes down to something very similar to race choosing, for example you can be a hunter blood elf and do great damage, if you know what are you doing, and know your class, think with your head, and not blindly follow everything you read, and still outdps the players, who have everything set up "by the book" but fail, at some crucial things, some unwritten parts because they read guide and think like, yea i know everything. Or simply ignore even the ones that they read or should have read.

Or you can play full potential in terms of spec, and beside that min-max your hunter, and get even better results in terms of your dps, and effectivity.

Speaking as a BM hunter, I love my Devilsaur and Raptor. :)

The preferable pet depends on raid classes. If no one warrior with "sunder armor" - the worm (with same debuff) be more profitable for raid then wolf. And so on. The wolf best pet for SKADA (DPS chek`s), but not for raid gaming. More better +200 DPS for 6 member of raid then +300 only to hunter.