Post by Ashkallon
1. True. However it's designed to do more
Threat allowing it to hold aggro while you attack.
2. Hunters do more Ranged damage than Melee damage, regardless of situation. So use Ranged to get more Mana back.
3. Use it when you're in Battlegrounds and don't want other Hunters/Druids to know where you are. The combined DPS increase in PvE is minimal (especially over Aspect of the Hawk)
4. Levelling: Choose
Glyph of Mending and
Glyph of Mend Pet. Any others will be ok. Once you're Lv80 it's dependent to some degree on your Spec.
The question you didn't ask was
"What spec should..." and that is
Beast Mastery. While levelling your Pet will (for the most part) be taking all the damage, so make sure to spend your talents making it into a lump of rock. Extra Armor, Extra Stamina, more Damage, Crit etc. Be careful about spending too many Talent Points on increasing your own damage as you will eventually make it harder (and then almost impossible) for your Pet to hold Aggro. Bears make good levelling pets, as do Gorillas.
Once you're Lv80 (and hit the Instances/Raids) you can spec into increasing your own DPS, as your pet will no longer be tanking, and will therefore no longer be taking so many hits.