Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Giving dogs treats works well, but then they won't listen unless they see a snack. Since you won't always have treats on you, you should use words and praise to train them instead.

Conclusion: Dog owners should utilize praise and verbal correction for training instead of using edible treats.

Reasoning: Treat-based training is effective for learning, but it creates a dependency where dogs only obey when a treat is visible, which is problematic since owners do not always have treats available.

Analysis: The argument identifies a specific practical flaw in treat-training (the lack of constant treat availability) and uses it to jump to the conclusion that a different method should be used entirely. We need a principle that makes this jump logical. Look for a rule that states a training method is undesirable if it relies on a reward that cannot be guaranteed at all times. This would effectively 'justify' the author's rejection of treats in favor of verbal cues.

Passage Stimulus

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1.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above?

Correct Answer
D
D states the needed bridge: train a dog to respond to a stimulus the owner can supply in all situations. Since treats aren’t always available but praise/verbal correction are, this principle justifies the recommendation to use praise and correction instead of treats.
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