Dog watch 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). This period is split into two, with the 'first' dog watch from 16:00 to 18:00 (4 pm to 6 pm) and the 'last' dog watch from 18:00 to 20:00 (6 pm to 8 pm). Each of these watches is half the length of a standard watch. The last dog watch is also referred to as the second dog watch in some sources. For instance Jack London in "The Sea Wolf",
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