Pit bull shows its true colours

Greytown farmer Ashleigh Blake Connon and pit bull Hasha - who helps out on the farm.

WHEN I met 7-year-old Hasha, he could tell I was a dog person.

Or he could sniff out the cheese scone I had in my handbag and hoped, if he gave me enough doe-eyed looks, I'd sneak him a nibble.

Either way, he was a honey: jumping up on the couch beside me, plonking his big, warm head in my lap and nudging me repeatedly with his nose -- until I got the hint and scratched him behind the ears.

A gentle soul, certainly not the razor-toothed monster that springs to some minds when his breed is mentioned.

Hasha is an American pit bull terrier. All muscle, with a large, square head, broad chest, stocky legs and the trademark red nose.

In New Zealand, pit bull-type dogs are considered "menacing by breed" and their importation into the country is banned by law.

In the past, the breed has been linked with ferocious attacks on people, other pets and livestock, the most famous case being that of Carolina Anderson, who was left disfigured after being savaged by a pit bull in an Auckland park.

More recently, closer to home, a pit bull attacked a cocker spaniel as it walked down Masonic St in Masterton in May, and left puncture marks on its throat.

But Hasha's owner, South Wairarapa farmer Ashleigh Blake Connon, insists her pit bull is a "big sook" -- and that vicious, menacing dogs are made, not born.

"Hasha is the perfect family pet," says Ashleigh, who works on Battersea Farm in Greytown.

"He isn't that aggressive, ugly, nasty dog people have come to expect.

"The media have given them such a bad rap -- but I want to prove with Hasha that a dog is what you make of it."

Ashleigh adopted Hasha from a breeder in Masterton when he was 6 weeks old -- when she was on her way to pick up a chihuahua from the house next door.

"The breeder held up one of the pit bull puppies, and I could see its little face from over the fence," says Ashleigh.

"I fell in love."

From his early years, Hasha has been a working dog.

Pit bulls have in the past been linked to severe attacks on livestock -- but, far from mauling the farm animals, Hasha helps with mustering dairy cattle at Battersea.

"He's been farming all his life," says Ashleigh, whose farm manager owned Sky, Hasha's sister, who mustered alongside him. Ashleigh also owns free range chickens and has previously had lambs and miniature ponies, all of which Hasha was gentle with.

"I remember one time he had a bone and was lying there chewing away, and the chickens all gathered around and started pecking at him.

"He didn't care. He just lay there with his eyes closed.

"I've got pictures of him having a sleep, with the lambs cuddled up to him. They were good friends."

Hasha is "great" with Ashleigh's 3-year-old son, and gets on with the other farm dogs and family pets -- a chihuahua, English bulldog, Neapolitan mastiff and several cats.

"He's protective and guarding, but very soft."

Ashleigh is all too aware of the reputation of pit bulls in society -- and grew so frustrated with their macho image that she started a Facebook page, NZ Pit Bulls, to celebrate the positive aspects of the breed.

In 2010, she attempted to adopt Hasha's mother from Wairarapa SPCA, after she was found, emaciated and losing blood, in Masterton.

Despite the dog's placid temperament, she was put down in accordance with the SPCA's policy to destroy breeds deemed dangerous, including pit bulls.

"I rang up and offered to take her, but they refused.

"They put her down, just because she was a red-nosed pit bull.

"She wasn't causing any trouble -- she didn't attack anyone in the street.

"They killed a perfectly good dog."

Her advice for would-be pit bull owners is to evaluate whether the breed is suited to their lifestyle and surroundings, as pit bulls require plenty of exercise and stimulation.

Pit bulls have naturally loving temperaments, but can become aggressive when cooped up and used as a "lawn ornament".

"Dogs aren't meant to live on a chain," says Ashleigh, who ran a rescue and rehoming service for bull-breed dogs.

"They need to be with people.

"Pit bulls were originally bred for bull fighting -- but they were specifically bred not to bite humans.

"They were called nanny dogs, because they were so safe to leave with children."

Pit bulls weren't "bred to have friends" and can be wary of other dogs -- so Ashleigh recommends taking puppies to obedience training to expose them to different dogs, and to socialise them as much as possible.

"If you want to introduce them to other dogs, do so on neutral ground.

"For example, take them for a walk together, or to the park, so they don't get territorial on their own turf."

And a solid training regime with positive reinforcements helps too.

"They're easy to train, as they're keen to learn. And food is a great motivator."