dumbell

"Whiskey" The Turnspit dog (via Incoming Signals)
Turnspit dogs were in use until the middle of the 19th century as a tool to save cooks in large households the effort of turning meat on a spit by hand. The dog would be placed in a small wheel connected to the spit and as he ran the spit would be turned. ...'Whiskey' is the last surviving specimen of a turnspit dog, albeit stuffed

meanwhile, bronte has turned mad over new plastic toy. This is her humble quarry - here spelt dumbell. It's been a tiring 24 hours since the dumbell first entered the household - she must never take her eyes off it, not for one second, even when placed six foot above her head. Retiring by force all night long she pined for the dumbell, whining intermittently. She seems slightly calmer now having relieved dumbell of its squeak and is resting. She is stuffed.

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Comments: dumbell

What a life! I wonder where Whisky found satisfaction in his job? Perhaps a good effort was a consistent three or four hours of steady rotation. No interruptions to the rythmn or flow. Also, good displays of leg and abdominal strength for the larger roasting carcasses.

I hope Whisky was rewarded every now and then with a morsel of meat, or perhaps a weekend off.

Posted by Jim at October 29, 2003 12:07 PM

Or even a nip?
Or maybe he was fired
for turning to the bottle?

Seeing the strong 'retrieving' instinct in labs, the 'herding' in the cattle dog and the hunting or staking out in the JRT - I wonder how the remnant turnspit instinct would show itself up in the domestic non-working strains?
Running on the spot?
(See Spot running on the spot)
Posted by boynton at October 29, 2003 12:47 PM