They are. I really don't know what what the point was. Though dogs actually can smell the similarities between family members! (All it's making me do now is be very tempted to give another of my Maglors a dog.)

Exactly! I admit I'm on the canon-compliant end of fandom... but a good story is necessary for anything to work well. Heart and enthusiasm show and make more of a difference than being nitpicky to oblivion.