An old-time staple - tinned dog - but not really
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (363583)
Rockingham, Australia
August 4, 2025 7:31am CST
When I was young, and my father and brother took their lunch with them to work in the paddocks, a staple ingredient of their sandwiches would be what was colloquially known as ‘tinned dog’. This was a slang term used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for tinned/canned meat of some kind. Australians do not eat dog, just in case you're confused.
When we travelled through the goldfield areas a few years ago, a short walk off the beaten track yielded a number of rusted cans, all of which had held meat of some kind. Old sardine cans were also common. Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were the two largest towns in the goldfield area with the former referred to in one newspaper article as ‘Tinned Dog city’.
The photo is of the 'Super Pit', a large open-pit goldmine in Kalgoorlie.
17 people like this
16 responses
@Juliaacv (54925)
• Canada
4 Aug
I can remember seeing canned meat, a type of ham, in particular, at my Gramma's house.
My mother never bought it, we raised our won beef when I was young enough to remember the cans at my Gramma's place.
My husband carried a lunchpail to work for all of his career.
He took sandwiches or wraps, which he kept in the refrigerator once he arrived at work.
Something that they would not have had in the days of the canned meat meals.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (165932)
• United States
4 Aug
Wow, that is a huge mine. Is it still actively being mined for gold? I thought all miners ate pasties. At least they do in Michigan, but that is iron mines. When we were in the salt mines there was a lot of trash because they said it was too expensive in the old days to cart it out. I know they probably had "Tinned Dog" cans there as well.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (79050)
• United States
4 Aug
Wow, what a large goldmine! Hopefully people know that “tinned dog” isn’t really dog, anymore than “hot dogs” are dogs. But you never know.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (160204)
• United States
4 Aug
@JudyEv I can see one driving down the road on the right-hand side of your photo. I've seen trucks like them before on YT videos. I KNOW they're huge!
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (50390)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Aug
Spam, Klik, corned beef, mystery meat... it all gets eaten by someone...
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (196774)
• United States
4 Aug
They seemed to be more popular in years gone by than today
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363583)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug
True. Back in the day, there were no butcher shops and tinned meats was virtually all that was available.
@LadyDuck (484041)
• Italy
5 Aug
I remember my grandmother talking of the canned meat they received from American soldiers when they entered Italy at the end of WWII. They were so hungry than they thought those meats were delicious.
This is a huge and impressive open-pit goldmine.
This is a huge and impressive open-pit goldmine.1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (65865)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
5 Aug
I wonder if what y'all called tinned dog is similar to Spam.
Do they sell spam there?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363583)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug
Yes, we have Spam and yes, it would be very similar if not actually Spam.
@thislittlepennyearns (65865)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
8 Aug
@JudyEv ah I do love some spam.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (15769)
• Hong Kong
5 Aug
That is a big area. Any more precious metals inside?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363583)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug
This is a gold mine. There has been a lot of gold taken from this area. Just a couple of days ago a prospector found a big nugget near Kalgoorlie.
@RebeccasFarm (95966)
• Arvada, Colorado
4 Aug
Hah I am laughing about the tinned dog Judy
There is one I never heard thanks for the laugh.
There is one I never heard thanks for the laugh.@JudyEv (363583)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug
I'm glad you thought it funny. It's strange what terms people come up with.
