Chihuahuas – Urban legends and myths about the breed

Chihuahuas – Urban legends and myths about the breed

Urban legends are also known as folklore, often these stories are made up by people of a bygone era who attempted to offer explanations about the inexplicable. Some of these mythical stories and tales still exist and endure today. There are several stories surrounding different breeds of dogs, including Chihuahuas.

Chihuahuas cure asthma and allergies:

One such legend for Chihuahuas comes from Mexico, which states that the dogs have an uncanny ability to transmit the owner's illness to themselves, thus ridding the owner of diseases such as allergies and asthma. This legendary folklore resurfaced in America, where Sandra Billitz of Warrior, Alabama, said she bought a Chihuahua with the strict intention of having the dog cure her mother of asthma.

Bigchihuahua.com disputed the claim that a Chihuahua can cure or alleviate the effects of asthma, although Ms. Billitz stated that it cured her mother. Devoted Chihuahua owners commenting on the site claimed that their Chihuahuas have actually cured or alleviated the symptoms of their asthma. However, Bigchihuahua.com backs up its statements by pointing out that there is no specific information that lends credence to this claim.

Many possible explanations exist based on the way a Chihuahua owner feels pure love, “the power of faith, belief and suggestion.” Because a Chihuahua can have either a smooth or long-haired coat, it is possible that a smooth-coated Chihuahua kept as a family pet may produce less dander and other airborne allergens that can trigger asthma and allergies in some people.

Chihuahua is carried away by a hawk:

This incident occurred in Manhattan's Bryant Park when a tourist had her pet Chihuahua on a leash and a trained hawk, which was part of the park's recreational program, swooped down and carried the dog away in its sharp talons. Apparently the Chihuahua was eventually released and only suffered minor injuries.

No evidence has been presented to support these claims that a tiny Chihuahua was almost a meal for a trained hawk. The hawk most likely mistook the animal for a rat or some other vermin. Park officials have since taken extra precautions to prevent something like this from happening. They continue their falcon recreational program, which was implemented to get rid of the pigeon population in the park. The program was a success and park officials say they won't get rid of the program because of one small mistake.

According to David Emery of “Your Guide to Urban Legends and Folklore,” this falcon story should be considered “almost myth.” Emery also says that if the Chihuahua had not been on a leash at the time, it could have become a real urban legend.

Nonetheless, an urban legend still exists in which a small pet like a Chihuahua is often caught and snatched by birds such as hawks, pelicans and other large birds. Most likely it is a coyote hunting a Chihuahua and other small animals.

A tourist buys a Chihuahua that is really a rat:

Another story circulating online was that a couple from America bought a Chihuahua to take home. It turned out that the dog looked strange, but the buyer assured them that it was really a Chihuahua. When the couple returned to the States, their veterinarian confirmed that they had indeed purchased a hairless Mexican sewer rat.

There are several versions of this story circulating, some have said the dog was a stray and the couple liked him, others have said the dog was close to drowning and was rescued. Still other sources state that the veterinarian confirmed that the animal was a number of different species of rats; Korean, Chinese and Guatemalan are just a few of them. Other variations of the story claim that the hairless rat supposedly died while reaching a veterinarian. Like all other stories, this one is an urban legend.

Inspired by John P Jackson