I was recently given this link to a brief video of a bulldog riding a skateboard. Not just riding the skateboard but, well, using it; steering it with one paw while building up speed with the other three, then hopping on board for the ride and actually using his body weight to turn the board away from obstacles.
The dog, a four or five-year-old English Bulldog named Tyson, has his own web site: http://www.skateboardingbulldog.com/
So, my question is, is this an example of high-functioning tool use in a non-human species? Is this bulldog, like, the Einstein of canines? Or is it just an extension of skills that dogs have been taught for years in obedience training? It seems to me that it's qualitatively different, but I'm no expert...
I'm really curious to know what someone who studies primate behaviour, for instance, thinks about this. Thanks.