Here is Lucy Worsley (as mentioned) with turnspit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxghA4uXM8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxghA4uXM8A You can see how poo

Here is Lucy Worsley (as mentioned) with turnspit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxghA4uXM8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxghA4uXM8A You can see how poorly 'any old dog' does at the task. 'Coco' (the dog in the clip) just wasn't focused, disciplined and able to take the job seriously. Given that society was <1% of landed gentry types and 99+% 'poor' in these days before the industrial revolution and or the rise of merchant types, and, given that things like plagues had decimated the population, you do have to wonder how many stately homes there were for these 'specialist' hamster-wheel dogs. Personally I think that once the hot coal is thrown into the wheel, any dog would be well motivated to perform adequately. So I would be surprised if there ever really was a 'Crufts' grade dedicated breed rather than a generic mongrel that, given a certain size and personality, could be called a 'Vernepator Cur'.