Chihuahuas: Urban Legends And Myths About The Breed

Urban legends are also known as folklore, often these tales are concocted by people of a bygone time period who have tried to offer up explanations about the unexplained. Some of these mythical tales and stories still exist and linger on, even today. There are several stories that surround different dog breeds, Chihuahuas included.

Chihuahuas Cure Asthma and Allergies:

One such legend for Chihuahuas hails from Mexico, which states the dogs have an uncanny ability to transfer the illness of the owner to itself and thus freeing the owner from such illnesses as allergies and asthma. This legendary folklore resurfaced in America where Sandra Billitz of Warrior, Alabama, states 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 lessen the effects of asthma, even though Ms. Billitz stated that it cured her mother. Devoted Chihuahua owners commenting on the site claimed that their Chihuahuas truly cured or lessened the symptoms of their asthma. However, Bigchihuahua.com backs up their statements by citing there is no specific information to lend credence to this claim.

Many possible explanations exist because of the way a Chihuahua owner feels pure love, "the power of faith, belief and suggestion." Also since a Chihuahua can either have a smooth or longhair coat, it is possible that a smooth coated Chihuahua owned as a family pet, can produce less dander and other airborne allergens which can be triggers for asthma and allergies in some people.

Chihuahua Being Swept Up By a Hawk:

Occurring in Manhattans Bryant Park, this incident happened when a tourist had her pet Chihuahua on a leash and saw a trained hawk, who was part of the recreational program of the park, swoop down and carry the dog away in its sharp talons. Apparently, the Chihuahua ended up being released and suffered only minor injuries.

No proof was offered to back up these claims that a tiny Chihuahua was almost a meal for a trained hawk. The hawk more than likely believed the animal to be a rat or other vermin. Officials at the park have since taken extra precautions to prevent something like this from happening. They are continuing their hawk recreational program, which was implemented to get rid of the pigeon population in the park. The program has been a success and park officials say they are not going to get rid of the program because of one small mistake.

According to David Emery of "Your Guide to Urban Legends and Folklore," this hawk story should be considered a "near myth." Emery also states that it could become a real urban legend if the Chihuahua had not been tethered to a leash at the time.

Nonetheless, an urban legend still exists where a small pet like a Chihuahua is commonly being caught and snatched up by birds like hawks, pelicans and other large birds. Most likely, it is a coyote who would hunt down a Chihuahua and other small animals.

A Tourist Buys a Chihuahua Which is Really a Rat:

Another story widely reported on the internet was that a couple from America purchased a Chihuahua to bring home with them. It turns out the dog was strange looking, but the buyer reassured them it was really a Chihuahua. Once the couple returned to the states, their veterinarian confirmed that they had actually purchased a hairless, Mexican sewer rat.

There are several versions of this story circulating around, some have stated the dog was a stray and the couple took a liking to it, others have said the dog was close to drowning and was rescued. Still other sources state that the vet confirmed the animal was a number of different species of rat; Korean, Chinese and Guatemalan are just a few. Other variations of the story claim that the hairless rat was allegedly dying by the time it reached a veterinarian. Again, like all the other stories, this one is also an urban legend.