I wish I could thumbs up more than once. I won't either for the same reason. There hasn't been a reasonable explanation for the distance nerf. Monster attributes were heavily inflated at the time and doesn't exist any more. PUP is in a similar situation but doesn't have to deal with fallout because again the issue no longer exists.
It's not fun being in the heat of battle having to remind myself that I need to watch my pet like a toddler that likes to run off.