It's no secret that dogs have fought alongside their human masters for centuries, so setting them up with a sweet suit of armor seems like the best way to prove that dogs really are man's best friend.
This suit of doggy armor dates back to the Edo period of Japanese history, and even though it wasn't made for use in combat it definitely would have made a pooch look extra tough!
Here's more about this armor:
General opinion is that this set was made from a dog belonging to a very senior samurai, possibly a daimyo, who apparently was extremely found of this canine companion [...] This set is of dubious practical value, and was almost certainly produced as a novelty item to appease the whim of an apparently very wealthy, powerful, and one can only assume, somewhat eccentric samurai warrior. The armour was most like used likely limited in its use to being worn during [...] formal parade-like situations.