# Did Pavlov Think About Feeding His Dog Every Time He Heard a Bell Ring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352 "2026-01-04T22:31:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/1 "2026-01-04T22:31:37Z")
Did Pavlov think about feeding his dog every time he heard a bell ring? (For all the nitpickers - after he performed his famous experiments, of course.) _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/2 "2026-01-04T22:47:28Z")
It would be funnier if he started to drool. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/3 "2026-01-04T22:57:27Z")
Great minds, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/4 "2026-01-04T22:58:20Z")
A _Great Question in Science_, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/5 "2026-01-05T00:28:19Z")
[![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/entertainment-dog-saliva-salivates-dribbles-pavlov_s_dog-shr0858_low.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/entertainment-dog-saliva-salivates-dribbles-pavlov_s_dog-shr0858_low.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/6 "2026-01-05T00:46:41Z")
Hell, _I_ think about Pavlov, and therefore think about feeding my dog, when I hear a bell ding on occasion. I guarantee ol’ Pavlov did. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/7 "2026-01-05T15:41:43Z")
> **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/ExplainTheJoke/comments/1fgw25o/i_dont_get_it/)** ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/8 "2026-01-05T22:58:46Z")
I voted No for the utterly mundane reason that Pavlov was conducting an experiment, had no emotional investment in the sound of the bell, and as soon as he was finished, he moved on to something else. I see by the vote total so far that I’m in the minority about this. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ebca7d/32.png) [@Kelby2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby2)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/9 "2026-01-05T23:06:11Z")
Ha-ha, great question! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/10 "2026-01-06T03:10:08Z")
I might believe that it happened when he heard **that particular bell**. But not just a general **a** bell. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/11 "2026-01-06T15:33:55Z")
Everyone forgets about Pavlov’s later experiments with supernatural beings. He was able to get angels, for instance, to associate the ringing of a bell with getting their wings. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/12 "2026-01-06T15:40:51Z")
His last experiment had dire consequences. > **[CartoonStock - Cartoon](https://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoon?searchID=CX932313)** > > Cartoon library, fully catalogued and searchable, instant downloads. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/13 "2026-01-06T16:14:05Z")
As did his first. [![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DoC-jdneeiBNIEObL1yqjsWw1W4SfvLozRy1YvTeQzrAYNSH6YLM7o8VghkR4ZF5MMh0w0kAceM5EiYX89-1EzWKJAif0KXeO77apzdnB67pxGA71cP9C1Sfm7DYkpAIetj2/s1600/IMG_1282.JPG) ](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DoC-jdneeiBNIEObL1yqjsWw1W4SfvLozRy1YvTeQzrAYNSH6YLM7o8VghkR4ZF5MMh0w0kAceM5EiYX89-1EzWKJAif0KXeO77apzdnB67pxGA71cP9C1Sfm7DYkpAIetj2/s1600/IMG_1282.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-pavlov-think-about-feeding-his-dog-every-time-he-heard-a-bell-ring/1026352/14 "2026-01-07T05:50:47Z")
The whole thing is more complex (and amusing) than anyone knew… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XDwHh6Kn8gs/maxresdefault.jpg "John Finnemore - Pavlov's Dogs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwHh6Kn8gs&t=3s)