There’s something deeply satisfying about walking into an antiques store — the smell of old wood, faded paper, and forgotten treasures.
You never know what you’ll find.
A chipped teacup.
A rusted knife.
Or in my case — a strange brass contraption that looked like it belonged in a steampunk novel.
At first glance, it looked like a cage for a very small, overworked hamster.
But it wasn’t for a pet.
It was for a dog .
Not a pet dog.
A kitchen dog .
And not just any dog — a turnspit dog , the forgotten kitchen worker of the pre-oven era.
Let’s explore the curious, clever, and slightly tragic story of this lost kitchen device — and the dogs that powered it.
🐾 What Was the Turnspit Dog?
You read that right — the turnspit dog wasn’t a breed you’d find at the park.
It was a real working dog — literally bred and trained to run inside a turnspit wheel , turning the roasting spit over an open fire.
Yes.
Back in the 16th through 19th centuries, these dogs were the original slow cookers — the ones that made meat spin and sizzle over flames, long before timers and ovens made it easy.
They were:
