Define "classical conditioning" in animal training.

Classical conditioning is a learning process commonly used in animal training where an animal begins to associate a neutral stimulus with a meaningful one, usually involving a natural response. This concept was famously illustrated by Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs, where the sound of a bell (the neutral stimulus) was paired with the presentation of food (the meaningful stimulus). Over time, the dogs learned to salivate at the sound of the bell alone, demonstrating that they had formed an association between the two stimuli.

This conditioning relies on the principle that an animal can learn to respond to a previously neutral stimulus in a similar way as it does to an unconditioned stimulus. This technique effectively modifies behavior and can be useful in various training scenarios, including desensitization and forming positive associations with previously neutral stimuli, making it a fundamental concept in animal behavior modification.