Meet the Dog Bred To Run on a Hamster Wheel and Cook Meat All Day

Throughout history, humans have used dogs in a variety of ways. Dogs provide a wide range of services, including guarding, hunting, drug detection, mountain rescue, and for many, emotional support. Dogs are good at many things, and there even was once a dog who kept kitchens running. In cartoon shows, prehistoric animals frequently replace the functions of conventional appliances. While such on-screen antics may make us laugh, few individuals would think about using actual animals to help with cooking. However, in the 17th century, there was a breed of dog called the turnspit whose sole purpose in life was to assist with cooking meat. But how exactly did the turnspit help with that? This article explains.

What Did the Turnspit Dog Look Like?

The turnspit dog was a crook-legged, long-bodied dog bred to flip meat on a wheel known as a turnspit or dog wheel. Turnspit dogs came in various colors and were stocky, with heterochromatic eyes. They were small enough to fit into a wooden wheel device connected to ropes or chains that spun the giant turkey or ham on a spit for the master of the house. The now-extinct turnspit dogs are described as odd-looking dogs with suspicious, unhappy expressions.

The turnspit dog was a distinct breed developed specifically for the job by British dog breeders. They needed to be small enough to fit inside the wheel, resilient, lively, and smart enough to be trained. The turnspit dog was frequently cited by Charles Darwin as an example of selective breeding and genetic engineering.

What Was the Turnspit Dog’s Purpose?

The turnspit dog trundled for hours in a wheel attached to a spit rotating over a fire to guarantee the meat cooked evenly. The dogs were forced to continue moving by throwing either glowing coals into their wheels or having collars choke them if they stopped. The dogs were kept high up on walls away from open fires to prevent them from burning, but it was to keep them working harder instead of out of concern for their health.

Because the task was so time-consuming, many turnspit dogs would come in pairs, taking turns on the meat-spinning hamster wheel. Some believe that dreadful tag team was the starting point of the phrase “every dog has his day.”

Before the dogs’ arrival, the task of turning the heavy iron spikes was outsourced to a “spit boy,” who would have to hand crank the spit for hours while standing next to a sweltering flame. Unfortunately, this job was terrible for the dogs for the same reasons it was terrible for humans. Strangely, from the 16th century to the mid-1800s, the turnspit dog was a high-tech staple for both professional and home cooks. The turnspit dog’s task was possibly the most excruciating and miserable, and the breed’s ultimate reward for its dreadful work was extinction.

Did Turnspit Dogs Serve in Churches?

Yes, turnspit dogs served in churches but for a different task. Although the turnspit dog worked mostly in kitchens or other duties that required running on a big wheel, they often had a day off on Sunday mornings. The turnspit dog was frequently brought to church on cold days to warm the master’s feet.

There is an interesting story related to this: when a priest preaching a sermon in a local church in Bath mentioned a Bible verse that said, “it was then that Ezekiel saw the wheel,” upon hearing the word wheel, all the turnspit dogs fled from under their owners’ feet and made a dash for the door as if they were trained to react quickly to the word “wheel.”

How Did the Turnspit Dog Go Extinct?

It was not until animal rights activists raised a stink in the 1900s that the public abandoned the use of cooking dogs — ASPCA founder Henry Bergh is said to have established the organization in distaste after seeing a turnspit dog at a Manhattan hotel.

The availability of low-cost spit-turning machines known as roasting jacks also led to the disappearance of the turnspit dog. Turnspits were common throughout the United Kingdom in 1750. However, by 1850, they had become scarce, and by 1900, they had vanished. The turnspit dog gradually disappeared as more people could afford roasting jacks. Those who owned turnspit dogs were eventually looked down on because they were considered low-class. Because of the “stigma of poverty” surrounding the dogs, no one kept them as pets, and the breed became extinct.

What Dog Breed Today Is the Most Similar to a Turnspit Dog?

Today, descendants of turnspit dogs are thought to exist in the form of a Welsh breed known as the “bowsy terrier,” but the last true turnspit dog, still fluffy and brown, presently rests in well-earned peace as a taxidermy exhibit at Abergavenny Museum in Wales. Her closest dog relative is most likely the Welsh corgi, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s spoiled pooch.

For those who can’t even get their dogs to go for a walk, it may appear unlikely that any animal would willingly slave away next to burning heat, surrounded but not overwhelmed by the aroma of cooking meat. However, the dogs were “highly specialized for their main task,” from their tightly packed weight to their natural tendency to move constantly.

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