The turnspit dog is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
short-legged, long-bodied dog bred to run on a wheel, called a
turnspit or dog wheel, to turn meat. It is mentioned in ''Of English Dogs'' in 1576 under the name "Turnespete".
's ''Memoirs of British Quadrupeds'' (1809) also talks of a dog employed to help chefs and cooks. It is also known as the Kitchen Dog, the Cooking Dog, the Wheeling Dog, or the Underdog. In
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
's 18th-century classification of dogs it is listed as (also used as Latin name for the Dachshund). The breed was lost, since it was considered to be such a lowly and common dog that no record was effectively kept of it. Some sources consider the turnspit dog a kind of
Glen of Imaal Terrier,
[ while others make it a relative of the Welsh Corgi.][
With advancements in kitchen technology, the need for turnspit dogs declined. Over time, they were no longer bred for their specific function, and their numbers dwindled, eventually leading to their extinction.
A preserved example of a turnspit dog is displayed at Abergavenny Museum in Abergavenny, Wales.]
Work
The turnspit dog was bred to run on a wheel in order to turn meat so it would cook evenly. Due to the strenuous nature of the work, a pair of dogs would often be worked in shifts. According to John George Wood in ''The Illustrated Natural History (Mammalia)'' (1853):Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
, the Bishop of Gloucester gave a sermon and uttered the line "It was then that Ezekiel
Ezekiel, also spelled Ezechiel (; ; ), was an Israelite priest. The Book of Ezekiel, relating his visions and acts, is named after him.
The Abrahamic religions acknowledge Ezekiel as a prophet. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied ...
saw the wheel...". At the mention of the word "wheel" several turnspit dogs, who had been brought to church as foot warmers, ran for the door.[
]Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
kept retired turnspit dogs as pets.[
]
Appearance
Turnspit dogs were described as "long-bodied, crooked-legged and ugly dogs, with a suspicious, unhappy look about them".[ ]Delabere Blaine
Delabere Pritchett Blaine (1768–1845) was an English national identity, English Veterinary surgery, veterinary surgeon and Professor of Animal Medicine.
Biography
Blaine at one stage ran a veterinary infirmary in Wells Street, Oxford Street, Lo ...
, a 19th-century veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...
(and self-described "father of canine pathology"), classified the Turnspit dog as a variety of spaniel
A spaniel is a Dog type, type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retriev ...
.[
The gene for chondrodysplasia in various short-legged breeds has been confirmed to trace back to a single ancestral mutation.]
References
Further reading
*
External links
"Whiskey" the turnspit dog, 19th century, stuffed, at Abergavenny Museum
Dog wheel turnspit, 18th century, from Coed Cernyw, Monmouthshire, at Abergavenny Museum
{{Extinct breeds of dog
Extinct dog breeds
Dog breeds originating in the United Kingdom
Working dogs