It's interesting to me via the only taxidermied example of the turnspit dog, that it was utilized exclusively as a tool in the kitchen to run on a wheel to turn the roast next to the fire. Like it's mentioned it has an ugly face as a defining feature. I can only imagine this is part of the layout as it's the only feature mentioned other than a bad personality outside of why it was used, that being the short sticky legs to run in a wheel long enough to roast a slab of meat or whatever.