Turnspit Dogs: The Canine Kitchen Assistants of the Elizabethan Era

In the 16th century, dogs served a variety of roles beyond companionship. Specific breeds were developed for tasks like herding livestock, hunting, and even providing warmth on cold days.

In Wales and England, a unique breed emerged as the kitchen helper in households of all sizes. Known as the turnspit or spit dog, these long-bodied, sturdy canines with short legs were tasked with operating the roasting spit by running on a wooden wheel.

What Is a Turnspit Dog?

Before automated roasting spits were invented, cooking meat over an open fire required manually cranking a wooden wheel to ensure even roasting. This laborious task was eventually delegated to dogs. A specific breed was developed to run on a wheel that rotated the spit, earning them the name vernepator cur, Latin for "the dog that turns the wheel."

This canine solution was celebrated as a significant advancement. The earliest reference to turnspit dogs dates back to 1576 in the book "Of English Dogs," the first comprehensive work dedicated to dog breeds.

Turnspit Dogs as Working Dogs

The turnspit dog's popularity extended beyond Great Britain. Their breeding persisted for centuries, and they were even brought to the United States due to their versatility, as they were useful for tasks beyond just roasting meat.

As Stanley Coren notes in "The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events," turnspit dogs were employed for various household chores, such as churning butter, pressing fruits, pumping water, and grinding grain.

However, according to NPR, the turnspit dog didn't gain the same level of popularity in the United States as it did in Great Britain. There are some records of these dogs being sold, including advertisements in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette.

Unfortunately, the working conditions for these dogs, particularly in kitchens, were harsh. Many were forced to run alongside scorching hot spits for hours without water. Cooks sometimes threw hot coals onto the wheel to spur the dogs into running faster, all to ensure the meat cooked evenly.

Due to the demanding nature of the work, turnspit dogs often operated in pairs, taking turns on the meat-roasting wheel. Some believe this grueling teamwork inspired the saying "every dog has his day."

Even on Sundays, these hardworking dogs weren't given a rest. Owners frequently brought them to church to act as foot warmers during services.

What Happened to Turnspit Dogs?

In 1750, turnspit dogs were a common sight across Great Britain. However, by 1850, their numbers had dwindled significantly, and by 1900, they had nearly vanished. This decline was largely due to the introduction of mechanical spit-turning devices known as clock jacks.

This technological advancement ultimately freed turnspit dogs from their laborious role and contributed to the breed's extinction. With the availability of affordable spit-turning machines, the need for these small dogs in meat roasting disappeared entirely.

After 1850, owning a turnspit dog was seen as a mark of poverty, Jan Bondeson explained to NPR. She is the author of "Amazing Dogs, a Cabinet of Canine Curiosities." These dogs were considered unattractive, so no one wanted to keep them as companions.

Where Is the Turnspit Dog Today?

The turnspit dog is now extinct. The sole remaining example is a taxidermied dog named Whiskey, displayed in a glass case at a hunting lodge in an ancient Norman castle in Abergavenny, Wales. This preserved dog is far from the kitchen fires it once worked beside. The closest living relative to the turnspit dog is likely the Welsh corgi, a breed famously cherished by the late Queen Elizabeth II.