Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:32:42 AM
Ie, another one maybe more relevant here reward system. The dogs get a positive reward (self satisfaction at making their master happy/completing a task, probably praise and treats, kind of like how altruism or doing something for someone may induce a larger psychological reward in people I guess) and thats just one amongst many many other theories that help explain how brains work :P
Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:24:26 AM
"Pavlov has a lot to answer for."
Pavlovs work/classical conditioning was about the whole thing with two stimuli being presented in close succession repeatedly, until the response given to one becomes associated with the other. (ie, bell = food)
Other theories explain high level learning like this much better. Operant conditioning is a theory of basic, natural learning. Ie, 'unnatural` stimulus is paired with this thing that causes this natural response, so eventually stimulus becomes associated with/induces that response in the animal.