Rob Kardashian is like one of Pavlov's dogs ... a little praise from "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba has him thinking he's got a shot to win the whole competition.

After Rob danced the jive on Monday ... Carrie Ann said, "It's official. Rob Kardashian is a better dancer than Kim Kardashian!"

Now sources close to the show tell us Rob is hitting the gym daily, practicing harder than ever -- and sucking up to his partner/teacher Cheryl Burke by bringing her lunch each day.

Rob's new attitude is a 180 from a few weeks ago -- when he was a total slacker.

What a difference a jive makes.

Rob Kardashian has a nasty case of pre-dance jitters -- and it's starting to piss off his "Dancing with the Stars" partner.

Sources close to the show tell us Rob is very nervous and has refused to rehearse longer than 2 hours with Cheryl Burke -- while most of the contestants are logging more than 5 hour practices.

We're told Cheryl is "fed up" with what she perceives to be Rob's lack of interest in the show.

But Rob is still talking a big game ... because we're told he's bragging constantly to big sis Kim that he will top her 'DWTS' performance by making it past week 3.

Note to Rob: You don't have Kim's "assets." Get to practice.  

"Dancing With the Stars" pros Mark Ballas and Cheryl Burke went to a nightclub at Harrah's in Jersey this weekend ... and destroyed it with an impromptu salsa dance. Showoffs ...

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Cheryl Burke just tweeted about inadvertently two-stepping with a TSA agent's jazz hands today.



That's almost as humiliating as when she had to tango with Tom DeLay.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit team partied their butts off in Las Vegas last night -- as in, cigarette butts.


It all went down at Vanity in the Hard Rock Hotel where some of the hottest chicks in the world, including Bar Refaeli partied their faces off ... while sucking away on cancer stick after cancer stick ... after cancer stick.

Not all of the models needed to smoke to be smokin' hot -- cameras never spotted cover model Brooklyn Decker with a cig in her mouth once.

... then he went and opened his mouth.


We were kinda impressed that "Dancing with the Stars" booty shaker Cheryl Burke pulled someone so damn good looking -- and then he tried to be funny. And that totally ruined it.

When Cheryl Burke's hair is a mess, it's usually a sign of a rough night -- so last night must have been a doozy!

Her buds rightly tried to shield Burke and her ratty, sweaty mess of a hair-don't after a night of clubbing -- it didn't work so well.

So imagine you're at a hot Hollywood club (One Sunset) when a car allegedly mows you down. Your pain's then alleviated when a papper tells you the car that hit you was carrying a celeb.

Here's the insult that comes with the injury -- the "victim" couldn't recognize the "celeb" in a lineup. Nice acting job buddy!

Matthew Lawrence (Joey's bro) and Cheryl Burke used to date -- and last night, with the help of his other brother Andy, Matt told us the not-so-surprising reason their relationship hit the skids...at least according to him.

Even after three club appearances -- Villa, One and Hyde -- Cheryl Burke was able to walk in a straight line last night. Incredible!

While we miss the boozy Burke, we're thankful Kelly Monaco was there to take her place as that girl.

Cheryl Burke placed third in yesterday's Great Ass poll -- generating an abysmal 10% of the votes -- so we wanted to know, how's it feel to lose to that chick from "High School Musical"?