Sometimes, your playful pooch might give a little nip to your hand or something else that shouldn’t be bitten. To stop bad biting behaviors, you should attempt to redirect your dog’s attention to an appropriate chew toy. You can do this by placing the toy in their mouth and praising them, causing your canine companion to associate chewing on the chew toy with positive emotions. Another step you can take to redirect biting behavior is to use biting deterrent spray. The spray can be homemade or store-bought. Just make sure that the ingredients won’t make your puppy’s tummy sick!
Which of the following best identifies the author’s purpose in the passage?
A.
To argue that dogs shouldn’t bite
B.
To describe how to train a puppy
C.
To narrate what it’s like to have a new puppy
D.
To inform the reader about illness in dogs
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is B. To describe how to train a puppy.
Explanation:
In this passage, the author provides specific steps and strategies for redirecting a dog’s biting behavior, such as using a chew toy and applying biting deterrent spray. These suggestions aim to teach the reader effective methods for training a dog, particularly in stopping unwanted biting. The detailed explanation about positive reinforcement and alternative actions makes it clear that the author’s purpose is to instruct or guide the reader in puppy training.
Let’s break down the other options:
- Option A (To argue that dogs shouldn’t bite) is not accurate because the author is not presenting an argument or opinion about whether dogs should or shouldn’t bite. The passage does not contain any persuasive language or reasoning aimed at convincing the reader of an opinion. Instead, it focuses on providing advice for handling a common issue with puppies, rather than debating the behavior itself.
- Option C (To narrate what it’s like to have a new puppy) is incorrect because the passage does not offer a narrative or personal experience of what it’s like to own a puppy. A narration would involve storytelling, possibly including personal anecdotes or a chronological description of life with a new puppy. However, this passage is more instructional, focusing on behavior correction rather than storytelling.
- Option D (To inform the reader about illness in dogs) is also incorrect because the passage barely touches on illness. It mentions that biting deterrent spray should not contain harmful ingredients, but this is a minor detail in the context of a broader discussion on behavior correction. The passage is not centered on canine health or illnesses.
Therefore, the main purpose of the passage is to describe how to train a puppy by giving the reader actionable steps to redirect biting behavior.