Dog In A Doublet - Thorney, Cambridgeshire

The close-fitting garment called the 'doublet' was worn by men between the 14th and 18th centuries and it seems that versions of this garb were sometimes used to dress dogs in - particularly those used by wild-fowlers. With his dog wearing a brightly coloured doublet the sportsman was able to keep a keen eye on the animal as he sent it to retrieve a fallen bird. Sometimes, travelling showmen also dressed their dogs in such a way when they used them to perform tricks such as jumping through hoops. All part of the colourful entertainment.