LSAT 9 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q12

LR Question 12 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Purebred dogs are prone to genetically determined abnormalities …

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: To avoid expensive vet bills, potential dog owners should pick non-purebred dogs.

REASONING: Purebred dogs are more likely to have genetic abnormalities that are expensive to treat.

ANALYSIS: How many purebred dogs get expensive abnormalities? Are abnormalities always expensive to treat?

The argument hasn’t actually established that purebred dogs automatically pose a financial burden worth avoiding. If most are harmless or don’t require treatment, they wouldn’t necessarily cost more in vet bills.

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1. CORRECT. If most abnormalities don’t impact the dog’s health, it’s unlikely they’d need expensive surgeries. That undermines the key link between genetic risk and expensive bills in the argument.
2. This is a trap. It shows that both types of dogs can get common illnesses, but we’re only concerned with genetic abnormalities.
3. You may think fewer years of care (because of shorter lifetimes) means less total cost. But even one surgery might prove the argument right. So this doesn’t weaken.
4. Out of scope. The argument is only about medical bills, not purchase prices.
5. Also out of scope. The conclusion is about choosing a dog to own, not about its offspring.