A possible way of training specific skills

[stukn]

The pets could have access to lessons to learn certain specific skills instead of leaving everything up to luck.

-Lessons have a price that depends on the pet's skill level (more and more expensive as levels go up)
-Maybe each level requires an equivalent number of lessons in order to level up? (ex. 5 lessons to get a pet from level 4 to 5)
-Each lesson adds time to the pet's activity timer. It could be fixed time or it could have some randomness to it that could be explained by the pet doing some extra practice before heading home.
-Just like skill scrolls, the lessons would not bring a pet above level 20 in a skill.
-Tokens/tickets for free or discounted lessons could be found under very rare circumstances.

[BenMakesGames]

a semi-related update may be coming in the near future already: adding an education component to the existing daycare feature.

the mechanics would likely be very different from the ones you proposed, but hopefully the end goal of "training up pets" will be met.

[stukn]

oooh that's great to hear!