Dog spinning (Bulgarian: тричане на куче(та), trichane na kuche(ta)) is a ritual that was traditionally practiced on the first day of Lent in the village of Brodilovo in southeastern Bulgaria. The ritual is thought to have pagan origins[1] and was performed in order to prevent rabies.[2]
In dog spinning, a dog is suspended above water on a rope. The dog is turned repeatedly in a given direction to wind the rope, or is inserted into a loop of rope that has been twisted already. The dog is then released so that it spins rapidly in the opposite direction as the rope unwinds, and falls into the water once the rope has run out.