modernprimate:

Oh, you heard me—I called my dog a troll. And why not? He strategically pushes our buttons in order to elicit a strong emotional response, and feeds on our negative, nervous energy. It would be a stretch to say that Nathan is in it for the lulz (I think), but it is certainly the case that he’s in it for the reaction. Knowing that that our dog is just trying to troll us hasn’t made all the behavioral problems go away (and right on cue, Nathan just tipped over his water bowl), but at the very least it’s provided a familiar behavioral framework. (via How to Train a Willful Puppy, Part 1: Don’t Feed the Troll | Modern Primate | man, that’s deep)