This does not imply that dogs have a theory of mind. It could simply be mimicry and behaviourism. It is notoriously difficult to distinguish between behaviour

This does not imply that dogs have a theory of mind. It could simply be mimicry and behaviourism. It is notoriously difficult to distinguish between behaviouristic arguments and more involved, theory of mind ones. Consider the anecdote where a dog was forbidden into the living room. After a while, while the owner was reading his newspaper, the dog appeared at his feet. Surprised, he ordered the dog out and then observed it sneaking inside while walking on its heels, since the tapping of the dog's nails on the floor was what alerted him to the dog's entrance. Did the dog explicitly think that, hey, it must be the sound of my nails on the hard floor that alerts his attention ? Or did the dog through a semi-random trial and error saw that when it was walking on its heels, the owners attention was not provoked, thus started doing that ? (example borrowed from the book "Baboon metaphysics")