Puppy Play - The facts. Pt. 1

Note - This entry contains mild infrequent course language.

Today my pup brother, Kubby, was speaking to one of his pup friends who had been institutionalised because his nosey neighbour called the authorities while he was pupping out and told them that she thought he thought he was actually a dog (stupid bloody bitch!). To cut a long story short, this incident has fucked with him mentally and has caused a lot of stress. So in the hope that I can help people to understand a bit more about pup play and hopefully open some eyes, I will be writing on the facts of pup play over the upcoming weeks. Unfortunately, I don't have the time today to write too much, so instead, I will be taking some information from a site that I've referred  a few people to in the past and they have found it helpful for them.

Just to clarify, the views and opinions in the following text are not of my own.

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Taken from http://nepups.org/drupal/node/14


What is puppy play?
Puppy play is when one person takes on the role of a pup or dog and another takes that of the handler or trainer. The pup acts like their canine counterpart and the trainer, for the most part, handles the pup like he would a biological pup.
It's not necessarily a sexual play, though it can be. For many it serves as a release of the animal part of them.
It is not bestiality: real animals are not involved.

Why do puppy play?
Because it's fun! More to the point it gives the pup an opportunity to shed off their human personality and take on the simple, carefree existence of a pup. Puppies like and get lots of attention. They also however receive some control from their Handler, while still expressing their animal instincts and desires.
The Handler also revives benefit from puppy play. Pups are always happy to see you and play fetch with you. They serve as a companion and friend. The Handler has the opportunity to establish dominance through training, while still allowing the pup some freedom, especially when playing.

What about humiliation?
For many pups, puppy play is not about humiliation. This does not mean they may not also enjoy humiliation, or that humiliation play is bad, but it tends not to be a part of puppy play. In many ways puppy play is much like training a biological pup. You wouldn't hit, kick, or abuse a new puppy to train him. Instead a firm but gentle approach is taken to training and discipline. Positive reinforcement is key; 'good boy' is spoken much more often than 'naughty pup' in puppy play.

What are the roles in puppy play?
There is no authoritative list of the roles in puppy play, but the most common names and meanings are these:
dogs are more interested in the dog persona: barking, being on all fours, the physical aspects of being a dog. They may be a more 'independent' pup.
pups are more about the canine head space then the physical. They think like a dog would, and crave attention like a puppy does.
alphas are the more aggressive, dominating pups. They will pose themselves as pack leaders, but will often also look after the pups in their pack.
Handlers are anyone the takes care of a pup. The one holding the leash per se.
Trainers train the pups to behave, do tricks. Trainer and Handlers may overlap.
Masters are usually the same as in other BDSM roles, they own the pups, and may or may not take part in the other roles.
biopup/biocanine – These terms refer to the biological animal (Canis lupus familiaris) to distinguish from the human animal.

What is pup headspace?
Headspace is hard to describe. It's the mental state you put on when you are doing puppy play. Dogs live in the moment, they do not think about the past or present. They act on instinct rather than rationality. Dogs are pack animals and seek attention from the other members of the pack. They look to the other dogs for leadership and guidance, and will assert their own if they do not find it. Maintaining headspace is about putting aside the human thoughts and desires and thinking instead about a pup's thoughts and desires.


Should I give my human pup dog food?
NO!!!!!
This question comes up a lot from those starting to get into puppy play. Despite what you may have heard, animal dog food is not fit for human consumption. Besides not meeting the dietary requirements of humans, there are many components such as bone meal and animal byproducts in dog food that simply aren't digestible by humans and could make you sick.
There are plenty of human foods that can serve as a substitute dog food. Cookies, crackers, anything bitesize your pup enjoys may be usable as treats. Cold canned beef stew is a perfect analog for wet dog food. Certain breakfast cereals look a lot like kibble (dry food). You can be creative and make your own food and treats.