Chihuahuas – Urban legends and myths about the breed

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

Chihuahuas cure asthma and allergies:

One such legends of Chihuahuas comes from Mexico, which states that dogs have an uncanny ability to transfer disease from the owner to himself and thus rid the owner of diseases such as allergies and asthma. This legendary folklore resurfaced in the United States, where Sandra Billitz of Warrior, Alabama, claims that she bought a Chihuahua with the strict intention that the dog would 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 claimed that it cured her mother. Devoted Chihuahua owners who commented on the site claimed that their Chihuahuas actually cured or lessened their asthma symptoms. However, Bigchihuahua.com backs up their statements by citing that there is no specific information to credit this claim.

There are many possible explanations for the way a Chihuahua owner feels pure love, “the power of faith, belief, and suggestion.” Also, since a Chihuahua can have either a smooth coat or long hair, it is possible that a smooth-coated Chihuahua owned by a family pet could produce less dander and other airborne allergens that can trigger asthma and allergies in some people. .

Chihuahua being dragged by a hawk:

This incident occurred in Manhattans Bryant Park, when a tourist had his pet Chihuahua on a leash and saw a trained falcon, which was part of the park’s recreational program, descend and carry the dog away with its sharp heels. Apparently, the chihuahua ended up being released and only suffered minor injuries.

No evidence was offered to back up these claims that a small Chihuahua was almost food for a trained hawk. Most likely, the hawk believed that the animal was a rat or other vermin. Since then, park officials have taken extra precautions to prevent something like this from happening. They continue their recreational falcon 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 getting rid of the program due to a minor mistake.

According to David Emery of “Your Guide to Urban Legends and Folklore,” this falcon tale should be considered a “near myth.” Emery also claims that he could become a true urban legend if the Chihuahua hadn’t been on a leash at the time.

Nonetheless, there is still an urban legend where a small pet such as a Chihuahua is commonly captured and taken away by birds such as hawks, pelicans, and other large birds. Most likely it is a coyote that would hunt a chihuahua and other small animals.

A tourist buys a chihuahua that is actually a rat:

Another story widely circulated on the Internet was that a couple from the United States bought a Chihuahua to take home. It turns out that the dog looked strange, but the buyer assured them that it was actually a chihuahua. Once the couple returned to the states, their vet confirmed that they had actually purchased a hairless Mexican sewer rat.

There are several versions of this story circulating, some have said that the dog was a stray and that the couple liked it, others have said that the dog was close to drowning and was rescued. Other sources claim that the vet confirmed that the animal was from several different species of rats; Korean, Chinese and Guatemalan are just a few. Other variations of the story claim that the hairless rat was supposedly dying when he got to the vet. Again, like all the other stories, this is also an urban legend.