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 😅 🤣 😂
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 😅
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