This is something crazy I learnt today!
Back in the 16th and all the way to the 19th century many kitchens, especially in Britain, were partialy powered by... dogs!
Specifically, a small, short-legged breed known as the Turnspit dog. Its job was simple, mundane yet crucial in meal preparation.
To run inside a hamster-like wheel connected to a spit, continuously turning meat and ensuring the meat was evenly cooked!
Some other names it was known back then are Kitchen Dog, Cooking Dog, Wheeling Dog and the Underdog.
Here's an illustration of one at work:
Public Domain
They were considered working animals and not pets and the breed was built perfectly for the job. Small, sturdy and with plenty of endurance. Oftentimes, a household would have two such dogs that would work in rotation when one got tired.
Another role they had was as foot warmers. Lmao π π€£ π
Eventually mechanical roasting became a thing send the dogs became redundant and eventually the breed was of no use and went extinct.
I guess the spitdog is a reminder of human ingenuity when it comes to real life problems.
Good thing we have electricity and technology these days, making the lives of both humans and dogs much easier π
References and Further Reading
Posted Using INLEO
We are a wretched species, aren't we?
Read this (you sent me looking stuff up with this blog)
"To train the dog to run faster, a glowing coal was thrown into the wheel, Bondeson adds."
I guess, you've got to keep them motivated π
Poor little fellas π
I'm just imagining being a dog just trying to live my best life, and boom, 9 to 5 job in a kitchen treadmill. The women talk about wanting real men, this is what I call a real dog lol
πππππππ
!pimp
π€£π€£π€£π€£
Thatβs not even close to funny. Those poor dogsβ¦..
!pimp
!pimp
hahahaha
Dogs? Why not use chickens?
"This Chicken volunteers."
You are a King !PIMP !
One day the dog dropped sausages (π©) into the hot cooking oil, and the hotdog was discovered for the first time.
Sir you are a !PIMP
no way! for so much time it was used that method? i wonder if the dog had to pee π€£
!PIZZA
Lol π Straight in the wheel I guess π
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Is it human ingenuity or cruelty? Maybe both.
!BBH
!pimp
Yeah, both π
!bbh !pimp !GIFU
I feel sorry for the dogs, but I guess that was how people got around life back then. Humans always try to make things easier on themselves.
Indeed crazy and interesting, poor dog :)
And now their breed is extinct to add insult after all of the hard work they did!
!LOL
!BBH
!DOOK
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Yeah π
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STOPInteresting!!! Poore dog!!!
Cool
!pimp
Why does this remind me of Human vs AI ? Lool!
Thanks for this info , this is my first time coming across a breed of dog as the Turnspit Dog. Sad they are extinct !!
Wow! I never imagined that. This is the first time of me hearing of such practice. It was a smart invention anyway. Nevertheless, thanks to electricity or these dogs would have to run their lives out these days.
Cool
(Good thing we have electricity and technology these days, making the lives of both humans and dogs much easier ) You are absolutely right hahaha, I can't imagine a dog running around on a wheel here in my house while I'm working, I would take it out immediately, well calmly since nowadays dogs are almost untouchable, in fact humans bark and bite those who get too close to their pets.