Pup Kairo: 2016 Puppy & Handler of the Year Nominee

When did you first discover pup play or realize you were interested?
I decided that I was interested in 2014 at Mephit Fur Meet during a panel on puppy play. During the panel, the presenter, Papa Woof Roth of all people, was throwing a squeaky toy across the room and his pup was chasing it as he spoke. I noticed that the puppy was making everyone in the room happy and wanted to do the same.

How would you describe pup play headspace based on your experiences?
I will preface this by saying pup headspace is different for every pup and there really isn’t any one good definition of it. For me, it’s a very animalistic basic instinct type of thinking with a desire to please the humans around me. It is a state of mind where I drop social standards and get to interact with the world differently and without social bias. I typically rely on much more body language and a lot on my lesser used senses while in pup space.

What does being a pup mean to you?
I have grown to be a service pup. It means being there for people and making people smile. That is the driving force behind puppy for me. A desire to be a good boy and make people happy. There are so many people and so many different types of pups, all with different goals and desires.

What are some ways you know of that someone can connect with their inner pup energy on their own?
I usually start new pups off with a blindfold and have them try to use their other senses to identify things and experience the world. I think being in a place where one is comfortable and relaxed also really helps.

Does gear help your immersion into headspace? If so or if not, please elaborate?
While gear is not REQUIRED for me for full immersion into pupspace, it does help me do it more quickly, particularly my hood or a collar.

Describe an instance where your pup personality came out at an unexpected moment?
I was doing a prescribed fire once and my radio antenna kept hitting me in the face since the radio was on a chest harness. I bit the antenna and growled at it. No one was around luckily. Most of the time though, my puppy personality just kinda shows as a happy fun person.

Do you identify with a particular breed of bio dog? If so, describe how you relate to that breed?
I am a mutt but I do usually identify with larger breeds.

What are your pup community goals?
Better education, more exposure of puppy at leather and kink events, encouraging new pups to better themselves so we have more great pups to play with. I think that’s the biggest thing.

What do you see as some of the strengths of the pup community? Weaknesses or obstacles?
Strengths would be by nature pups are pretty accepting. Pups tend to be helpful and fun. Puppy is also less scary than some other fetishes and so it draws people in a little better than a lot of the bdsm side of things. However pup also opens people up to trying new things and some pups may eventually find they like some of the bdsm side too, while some will decide they do not. Puppy is accepting enough to handle both of these scenarios. I think puppy itself overlaps with so many communities, leather, kink, bdsm, furry and more. I think that is a good thing as long as we can accept it and not try to split puppy up into gay pups or bdsm pups and so forth.
Weaknesses and obstacles I think are currently I would love to see more female and transgender pups and I’d like to see more leather events that are open to more than just gay people. I am happy to be part of a community that stresses openness to all genders and sexes in my local area.
Another obstacle is puppy is at risk of being a fad. So many pups enter puppy play with the thought that being a pup excuses them from the repercussions of their actions. Discipline and good conduct can be taught and fixed with education.

Within the pup world, how do you view the significance or meaning of a collar?
I think a gifted collar with a tag or lock can really mean the world to a pup. I know it would mean the world to me. I currently am an unowned pup however. Collars within puppy need to be respected even if it doesn’t signify ownership because that may be the puppy’s gateway into pupspace. A collar holds very personal significance to most pups.

What are your thoughts on pup names?
I think they should be thoughtfully chosen and represent the pup. Who picks the name is up to the people involved in the relationship and negotiation between them. I named myself personally and I would likely never change it.

We hear many pups in the community calling for increased education. What are some of the topics you would like to see more education on?
There are so many. I think safety can never be overlooked. I deal with so many new pups as the puppy community reaches out and grows. Never assume people know the basics. After the basics of safety, and some of the history, I believe at that point it is the puppy’s job to build their puppy self how they want to be. I frown on too much structure, while still having enough for a solid foundation on which to build. I would definitely like to see some good gear reviews and some in depth training videos that people can use to get ideas for their own pup time.

How does your pup persona balance with your “everyday” life?
When I am doing my normal boring life stuff, it generally shows up in my personality. I am usually free to pup out at home whenever I like. I really enjoy going to events but I also like just being a puppy at home sometimes too.

In terms of gender identification, sexual orientation, age, or any other “descriptor,” the pup and handler community is often touted as being very inclusive. What are your views of ideas regarding this?
Compared to most leather and kink, yes I think puppy is very inclusive. Puppies generally don’t see gender as something important. When a pup sees another pup, the reactions are very instinctual rather than having human social filters applied.

Where do you see the pup and handler community in relation to the broader leather/kink/fetish community?
I see it as a bridge between them all. It is broad and open enough that it contains people from all of these different communities and I believe that is a real strength of puppy play. There are leather pups, nonsexual pups, sexual/fetish pups, pansexual kink pups, but I say I am JustAPup because I will treat people the same no matter what their background and try to be a good pup to them. No matter your background as a puppy, the community is generally accepting.