(CNN) First of all, let's be clear: Every dog is the best dog, especially yours. But unfortunately, it looks like your drooling, howling, underwear-sniffing, sock-eating angel of perfection is not, you know, especially smart.

This distressing news comes from a new study in the journal Learning & Behavior , which seeks to answer the question, "Are dogs really that special?"

While our hearts say yes, the data says no.

The study compares canine cognition to other carnivores, social hunters and domestic animals (all groups that dogs fall into). Researchers used existing information on the behavior of several animals, including wolves, cats, dolphins, chimpanzees, pigs and pigeons to see if dogs possessed any special skills that weren't recorded in other species.

They did not.

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