Treadmill for Dogs @museum.de

F: A farm dog was essential, and every farming household had one. But the dog's duties weren't limited to seeing off the postman or potential burglars. It also had to make itself useful about the house.

M: You've probably noticed the big wheel in the hall. That was a treadmill for the dog. Like a hamster, it would run along on the spot and keep the wheel in motion. A mechanism raised and lowered the plunger in the big butter churn next to the wheel. At some point, the dog's tongue would be hanging out, but at least Fido had churned a tidy amount of butter. The maids, who would otherwise have had to do the work, must have been grateful to the dog. And no doubt it was rewarded with an extra portion of sausage offcuts.