Can a non-Hound take the Ghost Hunter special ability (as Veteran)?

Question

ghost hunter states.

Your hunting pet is imbued with spirit energy. It gains potency when tracking or fighting the supernatural, and gains an arcane ability: ghost-form, mind-link, or arrow-swift. Take this ability again to choose an additional arcane ability for your pet.

"Your hunting pet" seems to be a prerequisite to this special ability. But, it also seems that the asset A trained hunting pet:

Your animal companion obeys your commands and anticipates your actions. Cohort (Expert: Hunter).

is exclusive to Hounds. So, is this special ability uniquely exclusive to the Hound Playbook, or can other playbooks pick up trained pets?

Answer 1

No asset is truly exclusive.

So, just to be clear:

• Anyone can take Ghost Hunter as a veteran advance.
• Ghost Hunter provides no special access to a hunting pet, and does nothing without one.
• Anyone can obtain a hunting pet as a permanent asset, and Ghost Hunter will work on that pet.

The game outlines the ways to acquire a permanent asset after the rules for spending downtime to acquire temporary assets:

If you want to acquire an asset permanently, you can either gain it as a crew upgrade or work on it as a long-term project to set up a permanent acquisition.

Zamira the Whisper is a duelist and would like a fine sword to add to her permanent items. Her player starts a long-term project: "Get My Family Sword Back from the Pawn Shop." The GM says this is an 8-clock (she can work on it by Consorting or Swaying the pawn shop owner or maybe rolling her lifestyle level to represent small payments).

-- "Downtime Activities" from the SRD

A cohort is a standard crew upgrade, and as far as acquiring gear goes, a hunting pet is as much a signature part of kit as a fine weapon, so an 8-clock would probably be appropriate for picking one up.