Thoughts on Kink contests and the Puppy-Trainer Community

Written by: GREAT LAKES TRAINER 2016 & 2017 DADDY JOHN

There has been a fair amount of discussion over the last month or so on social media about puppy/trainer participation in organized contests.  I wanted to express my views as I believe this discussion is more a specific example of the broader discussion of where the puppy/trainer kink fits into the larger kink community than an individual discussion in and of itself.

My premise, whether you agree with me or not, is that the puppy/trainer community has developed into its own entity.  (I address this in another writing)  With that as the premise, there are a number of points I would like to discuss regarding these contests.

1.)     Most contests are done the same whether it is a leather contest, a puppy/trainer contest, a drag contest, an AKC contest or the Miss Universe pageant.  There are a number of criteria that one is judged on through a variety of different measures and the person/puppy with the most points wins the contest.  In this regard puppy contests are no different than leather contests or rubber contests. Two of the things however that make puppy-trainer contests unique are the headspace one is required to have during these contests and what the person intends to do with the title should one win it.

Each kink has its own headspace.  I would argue that the uniqueness of puppy trainer headspace is markedly different than that of leathermen, leatherboys, rubbermen etc.  Rarely is a leatherman judged on how excited he gets when a squeaky toy is squeezed or how much his tail shakes when treats are presented.  However, the mental consciousness that these actions represent is an integral part of being both a puppy and a trainer.  I also am not privileged to have been at any leather or rubber contest where a contestant is offered a bag of squeaky toys and has to entertain an audience with them or is presented with an ob
stacle course that has to be traversed by contestant and handler followed by contestant presenting with stance, tail placement, snout presentation, and haunches to paw alignment judged like at a dog show.  One could make comparisons to different parts of leather and rubber contests for these but the mental headspace required of both trainer and puppy to do this well, be judged on it, and get high marks is uniquely that of the puppy-trainer purview.

2.)    Why one seeks a title is as unique as the titles themselves.  There has been much talk of late about puppies seeking titles outside the puppy community.  Well, if the reason a person is seeking a title is to improve the leather community, or rubber community, or furry community, or as a member of the emperor’s court.  Then seeking a puppy title might not be as effective as seeking a title in the community one is trying to improve.  However if a puppy is seeking a title outside the puppy-trainer community SOLELY for the purpose of improving the puppy community, then that too might be a misfit.

The kink community is in continued need of good leaders willing to give of themselves in an effort to improve that community.  What is an important characteristic about seeking titles is not the title itself but the leadership skills that allow one to work with other title holders and leaders in other kinks for the global good of all the communities while advancing the individual kink for which that titleholder belongs.

Finally I would encourage those curious about the relationship between the leather community and the puppy community and contests to look to our brothers of rubber.  This is fitting as their International Contest is right around the corner. I would argue that the puppy-trainer community is no different with its contests than the Rubber community is.  As well, I would argue that if a puppy that wears only rubber and has a rubber hood and tail and identifies with both the rubber community and the puppy community is seeking a title to advance a specific cause for the rubber community, a puppy contest might not meet the rubber puppy’s needs.

I would also argue that part of being a relatively new kink in this global kink community of ours is the need to get other kinks to understand who we are and what we are.  Having a leather puppy representing the leather community and a rubber puppy representing the rubber community and a BDSM puppy representing the puppy-trainer community all at the table working together legitimizes the puppy-trainer kink in a host of ways and by default gets the puppy-trainer voice heard in other communities.  A voice that is desperately needed.

Thank you for reading.

Great Lakes Trainer 2016 Daddy John