Unseen Passage: Maggie, Golden Doodle

Maggie is a Golden Doodle. However, she turned out to be more Golden than Doodle – lots of energy, very loving, a people pleaser, soft, loves every minute of life. But when she was small, we called her “The Demon”! She lived to jump on me, bite me, and steal anything. My goal had been to get a dog that would keep me walking every day. But more than that, I am in a period of my life where I was looking for a way to give back. Seeing Maggie’s loving personality and high energy, I realized that Maggie needed a job and I needed to volunteer, and if we worked together, we could both have that. But the little “demon” needed to be tamed! After going through beginner and intermediate obedience at Canine Academy, I knew that Maggie would benefit from the Off-Leash programme and that would help her get ready to become a therapy dog, so that she could be busy and I could give back.

She is home from the Academy now, and what a great dog she is! She loved her training and did very well at Canine Academy. Walks that used to be difficult because, at 75 lbs, her pulling on the leash was hard on me, are now a pleasure. We walk twice every day and she has many friends in the neighbourhood, that have watched her grow from an unruly puppy to a beautiful companion, thanks to the Canine Academy. We train every day and she loves to attend the weekly training sessions that the Off-Leash graduates take part in. Lisa and her trainers gave Maggie the tools she needed to be an absolutely wonderful dog. Now we work together to fine-tune those tools and everyone that knew her before is quite impressed by how well-behaved she is now. My life is so much better with Maggie in it, but part of that is thanks to the wonderful people at the Canine Academy and the great work they do with dogs. If I ever add to my dog family, we will surely be calling them again!

Q. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer the following questions:

1. Maggie is a Golden __________.
   1. Retriever
   2. Pug
   3. Labrador
   4. Doodle
2. She was called __________ when she was little.
   1. The Demon
   2. The Devil
   3. Naughty
   4. Doodle
3. Maggie __________ when she was small.
   1. loved to bite
   2. loved to go for walks
   3. loved to play
   4. loved to sleep
4. Why did the author want a dog?
   1. to entertain
   2. to keep him walking
   3. to keep him company
   4. all of these
5. The author is grateful to the Canine Academy because __________.
   1. it taught her to respond to commands.
   2. it groomed her.
   3. it transformed the unruly dog
   4. none of these
6. The author had difficulty in taking her for walks earlier because __________.
   1. her weight was too much for the author to manage
   2. she was too fast
   3. the author had difficulty in walking
   4. the author was not used to taking dogs for walks
7. Which of the following statement about the author is true?
   1. We go for walks daily.
   2. We go for a walk twice every day.
   3. We go for a walk on alternate days.
   4. We never go for walks.
8. How did Lisa and her trainers help Maggie?
   1. taught her to walk slowly
   2. taught her to fetch things
   3. groomed her
   4. gave her the tools to be a wonderful dog
9. The word which means the same as ‘trained’ in para 1 is __________.
   1. tamed
   2. volunteer
   3. obedience
   4. therapy
10. What is meant by the word, ‘obedience’? (para 1)
    1. faithfulness
    2. servility
    3. calmed
    4. respect
11. What is meant by the word, ‘unruly’? (para 2)
    1. unmanageable
    2. cruel
    3. ugly
    4. bad
12. The word which means ‘partner’ in para 2 is __________.
    1. unruly
    2. sessions
    3. absolutely
    4. companion

Answer

1. Doodle
2. The Demon
3. loved to bite
4. to keep him walking
5. it transformed the unruly dog
6. her weight was too much for the author to manage
7. We go for a walk twice every day.
8. gave her the tools to be a wonderful dog
9. tamed
10. faithfulness
11. unmanageable
12. companion

Q. Answer the following questions:

1. What qualities of Maggie are mentioned by the author in the opening paragraph?
2. What training programmes did Maggie undergo?
3. Why is the author grateful to the Canine Academy?
4. Why is everybody in the author’s neighborhood impressed by Maggie?
5. Why has the author called Maggie the demon?
6. What is meant by the word, ‘tamed’? (Para 1)
   1. taught
   2. trained
   3. calmed
   4. disciplined
7. What is meant by the word, ‘obedience’?
   1. faithfulness
   2. servility
   3. calmed
   4. respect
8. What is meant by the word, ‘unruly’? (Para 2)
   1. unmanageable
   2. cruel
   3. ugly
   4. bad
9. What is meant by the word, ‘impressed’? (Para 2)
   1. afraid
   2. affected
   3. charmed
   4. delighted
10. What is meant by the word ‘companion’?
    1. friend
    2. partner
    3. stranger
    4. rival

Answers

1. According to the author, Maggie is mentioned in the opening paragraph as energetic, soft, a people pleaser and one who loved every moment of life.
2. Maggie underwent beginner and intermediate obedience programmes and Off-Leash training programme.
3. The author is grateful to the Canine Academy as the academy transformed the unruly dog into a beautiful, obedient and friendly dog. (
4. Everybody in the author’s neighborhood is impressed by Maggie because Maggie is an absolutely wonderful dog, very friendly and well behaved.
5. The author called Maggie “the demon” because she loved to jump on him, bite him and would steal anything.
6. disciplined
7. faithfulness
8. affected
9. partner