Dog watch of Ship's Bell clocks) website explanation it says that ..."the Evening Watch is periodically divided into two watches. These are called Dog Watches because they "dog" the watch schedule for all divisions ahead by one watch period". It can be surmised that this may mean an action similar to the "feed dogs" on a sewing machine, although obviously the use of the term predates the use in the sewing machine. Dog watch Dog watch, in marine or naval terminology, is a watch, a period of work duty or a work shift, between 16:00 and 20:00 (4 pm and 8 pm).
Dog watch of these 'half' watches was said to be 'dodging the watch', taking or standing the 'dodge watch'. This became shortened to 'dog watch'. Another variation is that those sleeping get only 'dog sleep' in this watch. Stephen Maturin of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series retells the 19th century humourist Theodore Hook's pun that the dog watch is so-named because it is "cur-tailed" ("curtailed", i.e. shortened). Dogging in seaman's terms means securing, such as dogging a hatch. It's called a dog watch because each watch is dogged , or secured prematurely to allow for meal times. In the Chelsea Clock Company's (makers