Upgrading Starter Pets a Waste when Saving for Legendary?

I keep seeing people recommending to keep starter pets and invest in them. Is this good advice or ignorant?

Lets look at Wolves that make great grinding pets and sufficient low level lurers...

There are 4 different types of wolves in the game, and apparently 32 different choices from 2-49. The 4 types use different ranges of wolf level, so each time you switch up to a new type, you're starting off with a new stat upgrade path.

A level 13 wolf isn't going to have a significant difference in stats from it's same type level 2 wolf, and at level 18 you can switch to the next type of wolf - eliminating the issue.

Your level 2 starter wolves don't come with Howl. Howl makes the biggest difference for pet skills on how fast you can grind. Howl also cost 750k at the NPC. Howl Lvl 2 comes on a lvl 12 wolf and while lvl 2 of this skill isn't even available until level 20 for your Lvl 2 starting wolf and it would cost another 200k. -Already this is 1/20 of what my hercules cost if you were do do this with your Lv2 starter wolf, and that's not including adding or upgrading ANY other skill! Buying Howl at level 2 would be extremely expensive, and lvl 12 comes very fast.

At level 18 you can switch types of wolf so you get a new "entry level" wolf to work with, and at level 22 you can get one with Lv. 3 Howl which isn't otherwise available for your level 2 starter until level 40 and at a cost of another 200k! This is also only 4 levels off from the entry level for this type so it's stats will still scale well (insignificant difference)! Now there are other options in between, but when you get to level 49 you can get a Lunar Lupin which comes with Howl lvl 5 which isn't available for your level 2 starter until level 80!

At level 80+, it's easier to earn a Herc than it is to level one! Veno's have been reporting that they've obtained one without cash in their 60's and 70's. At lvl. 79 I earned more coin in 2 days than half of what I paid for my Hercules. The point is that by the time your traded up wolf's stats start to make a difference, it could be replaced by a Herc with all the coin you saved!

Here's a good site to help decide which wolf to get:
http://snowbloom.110mb.com/pi.htm

Are higher level veno's using the starter pets they recommended? At my level, I rarely see them being used, and it's usually be a veno that doesn't have a legendary pet and they use it in an area where their pet isn't suitable (Crystalline Magmite on Ninetailed Firefoxes because Golem sucks at mag res). -It seems the unwise or stubborn are. Ok, there are others that don't care about stats or ability and just like that slow bulky dull looking pet over the big fat jaundiced sumo dancer but I think many are in denial.

The only pet I'd highly recommend that starts below level 60 for a keeper is the Eldergoth Marksman (41) or Eldergoth Sharpshooter (46). They're upgrades can easily be waited on until you have your legendary pet though. For a Plethora of reasons check:
Why Should Veno's Have a Ranged Pet?

*end note:
Keep in mind that this is merely one type of pet. If we don't limit our scope to wolves, there are many more that make good intermediary pets until our legendary/ keeper pets.