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Think Your Dog Is Smart, That's Likely Not True

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. Your favorite dog may not be a genius after all. Scientific American asks why many of us think dogs are especially smart. People think dogs understand their words. A small survey once found most dog owners believe theirs to be above average - most - above average. But a study finds no canine exceptionalism. The review of scientific literature found dogs not notably smart compared with dolphins, wolves, pigeons - or cats. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.