1. Before Pavlov intentionally conditioned his dogs to salivate to previously neutral stimuli (like the bell), they were classically conditioned by accident. The dogs picked up on sights and sounds that regularly occurred before they were given food in the lab, and soon those sights and sounds triggered anticipatory mouth-watering. Our own pets get classically conditioned by accident too. My childhood dog came running and jumped with excitement whenever she heard the crinkle of her bag of treats. We never intended for her to make this association, but over time, she learned that the sound of that particular bag meant that a treat would soon follow.

How have your own pets demonstrated this kind of accidental classical conditioning? What kinds of previously neutral stimuli—the sight of the leash, the sound of the electric can opener, and so on—have they identified as precursors to food? What kinds of conditioned reactions do your pets show to those stimuli now? Are there other unconditioned stimuli besides food that your dog has been conditioned to anticipate? If so, what are they, and what conditioned responses have they developed?