Dog Training Me?
by Bryan Ellett

My new dog is a mutt, or a mix of breeds, most likely a mix between a basset hound and a beagle. No one knows for sure, though. His name is Capote, and he is a really attractive dog, small but sturdy. He has great posture and always looks proud, sticking his chest out slightly and standing tall. There is only one problem, but it’s a big problem: he won’t fetch.
Actually, it’s worse than that. Not only will he not fetch, he’s making me play his game! I throw the ball, and Capote goes running after it, as if fetch is the thing in the world he most enjoys. He begins bringing the ball back to me, but then he runs right past me. I follow him, reaching for the ball and trying to pull it out of his mouth, but he keeps turning away from me, teasing me with the ball! He’s not playing fetch; he’s playing “come chase me!” And he’s training me to do it, too!
Once I realized this, I read some books, and I’ve changed my strategy. If he runs past me with the ball, I don’t follow him, and I don’t reach for the ball. Instead, I turn my back on him and ignore him. He really does like to play, so me ignoring him is a tremendous punishment! Eventually, he’ll bring the ball over to me, and once he does, I immediately throw it. That way, he knows that he’ll be rewarded with another throw if he brings me the ball. He is not a perfect fetch player yet, but I can now tell that one day he will be!
3
Which statement is supported by the story?
A.
The dog will never learn how to play fetch.
B.
The narrator taught his dog the wrong way to fetch.
C.
The narrator enjoys playing with his dog.
D.
The dog does not enjoy playing with the narrator.

Question

Dog Training Me?
by Bryan Ellett

My new dog is a mutt, or a mix of breeds, most likely a mix between a basset hound and a beagle. No one knows for sure, though. His name is Capote, and he is a really attractive dog, small but sturdy. He has great posture and always looks proud, sticking his chest out slightly and standing tall. There is only one problem, but it’s a big problem: he won’t fetch.
      Actually, it’s worse than that. Not only will he not fetch, he’s making me play his game! I throw the ball, and Capote goes running after it, as if fetch is the thing in the world he most enjoys. He begins bringing the ball back to me, but then he runs right past me. I follow him, reaching for the ball and trying to pull it out of his mouth, but he keeps turning away from me, teasing me with the ball! He’s not playing fetch; he’s playing “come chase me!” And he’s training me to do it, too!
      Once I realized this, I read some books, and I’ve changed my strategy. If he runs past me with the ball, I don’t follow him, and I don’t reach for the ball. Instead, I turn my back on him and ignore him. He really does like to play, so me ignoring him is a tremendous punishment! Eventually, he’ll bring the ball over to me, and once he does, I immediately throw it. That way, he knows that he’ll be rewarded with another throw if he brings me the ball. He is not a perfect fetch player yet, but I can now tell that one day he will be!
3
Which statement is supported by the story?
 A. 
The dog will never learn how to play fetch.
 B. 
The narrator taught his dog the wrong way to fetch.
 C. 
The narrator enjoys playing with his dog.
 D. 
The dog does not enjoy playing with the narrator.

mikewwe13 · Answer

The statement supported by the story is:

C. The narrator enjoys playing with his dog.

The story describes the narrator's efforts to train his dog to play fetch, indicating that the narrator is interested in spending time playing with his dog. While the dog initially does not play fetch in the way that the narrator expects, the narrator modifies his approach and continues to work with the dog, suggesting that he is committed to playing with the dog and helping him learn new behaviors.