<P> The Sea Dogs were essentially a military branch that were authorized by the Queen to attack the Spanish fleet and loot their ships in order to bring back riches and treasure . The Sea Dogs were able to do this because they carried `` Letters of Marque '' which made their plundering of Spanish ships legal ( in their home country ) despite the countries not officially being at war with one another . The Sea Dogs were initially started in 1560 as a way to bridge the gap and close the difference between the Spanish Navy and the English Navy . By having a small fleet of ships that would sail around and pick off Spanish ships , risking their lives and own ships in the process , they were able to reduce the funds and size of the Spanish navy significantly . The Sea Dogs continued carrying out raids against the Spanish until 1604 when England and Spain made peace . After that , many of the Sea Dogs continued as pirates employed by the Barbary States , in what would become the Anglo - Turkish piracy in the Caribbean . </P>
what did the sea dogs have that led to their defeat of the spanish armada
Letters of Marque