TRAINING CAN BE
Definition of Character
It cannot be emphasised enough that being a puppy is not reserved to a set time or place. That, at any present moment, there is a part of our soul that wants to leap out and give licks, wags, and playful barks to people around us. Finding the puppy within you (and developing it) along side with your human self can be a worthwhile and endearing process. Being a puppy allows us to shift our perception away from the complicated world that at times can be difficult to understand. Being a puppy helps us to focus on the simple pleasures and values in life; company, affection, and companionship to name a few. The opportunity to create a stable and reliable bond with the puppy is one of the main purposes of this popular form of pet play. This is the reason why puppies are unique to the fetish community. It is not necessarily a sexual attraction or any direct obvious benefit that attracts us to pet play. The animalistic part of ourselves allows us to refocus our values away from complex human ideologies to the simple act of being a puppy.
Spiritual
Often times as puppies, we feel that our soul is intertwined with the animal within us.That within ourselves is a powerful presence of a canine spirit guide. Historically, before the fetish community, (if there ever was a ‘before’ animal roleplay existed as a part of spiritual worship or belief. In ancient human cultures, animals were revered and idolised. To sacrifice your body to these Gods for their use or abduction was the ultimate form of worship. Native American tribes believed in animal spirit guides that spoke indirectly to our soul through visions or subconscious thought in order to guide and protect you. Puppy play can be used to connect ourselves with that spirit and form a solid bond to our guide.
Comfort
In a nonsexual way, puppies may be attracted to the simple affection given by a Master or another puppy. In bio-pups, puppies are often detached from a familiar environment and taken to a new home causing them to become restless and stressed. This is why it is so crucial with a new puppy to create an order and set healthy boundaries about what is allowed and what is not. Many parts of our human lives can leave us feeling like we have been moved into an unfamiliar territory. The safety of a collar and a Master with/without the pressure of a sexual relationship can bring order and stability for the pup. In these relationships, each member gives an exchange of attention and affection that builds a new home for both the Pup and Master. For a puppy, the Master provides the safety, security and trust that solidifies the pup’s esteem as well as his character. For the Master, the love and stability a puppy provides is unmatched. They each depend on their relationship as a source of loyalty, respect, and unconditional love. No matter what may happen, the relationship between a Master and his pup endures because of the secure knowledge that each of them deeply cares for the other.
Community
Puppies and dogs are undeniably related to the wolf, a strong example of pack life and community. Puppies depend on their community as a source of comfort and security. Either through various social media, local groups, or even a loving friend, we become more connected with each other as well as with our pup self. The thought of a puppy brings us joy because of their playful, naive, and non judgemental nature. Bio-puppies are defined by the reciprocating love and attention we give back to them. Much is the same for human pups both within the “mindset” and outside of it. We support and love each other because we understand why being a puppy is critical to our happiness.
Mental Benefit
Many psychologists encourage opportunities that shift our perspective away from our present situation and reflect on our problems in a different light. We all seek our own happiness in the world but there are times where complications hinder that desire. We respond to these situations by protecting ourselves from further harm and activating our “fight or flight” response. Our reactions to these events can leave us holding a more narrow minded view of the world that can be difficult to shake off leaving us shy and sheltered. The puppy “headspace” helps us to shed a narrow mindset off faster than shedding our fur. At many community puppy events, we witness puppies entering their mindset as reserved and cautious humans but quickly become extremely social, confident, and loving. Returning to their human form, they go forward with a more confident and caring character. When the complications again arise, the puppy within us sheds his coat, and moves forward choosing to be happy above all.
Intimacy
When you accept yourself as a puppy, it evolves as a part of your personal life and can become a factor in your sexual life as well. The Dominant/Submissive relationship between these roles( which are not limited to a Dom/Sub relationship) can be both sexually appealing and satisfying. Owners have full control over bio-pups ranging from the times they can satisfy their bodily functions to their emotions. The control and safety present in that relationship relinquishes the obligation of the puppy to be held responsible for his thoughts and actions and simply must obey. Though this is often confused with a Boy or Slave, the puppy is considered to still have his own rambunctious, playful, and primitive animalistic nature that may not be present in the other forms of ownership. As stated in the previous article (below), this is your fetish and up to negation with your Master. Many puppies can be attracted to the sexual act of being a animal, both in solitary play and with a partner, capable of unpredictable growls and satisfied in similar ways. Though it is not essential to participate in puppy play with a sexual undertone, it is advised even in a solitary mindset to express yourself sexually. After all, your sexuality is a part of you and should be shared with your pup side.
WHAT HUMAN PUP TRAINING IS NOT
HUMILIATION Many of the previous generation of Leather-men have the idea that dog training always means humiliation. We disagree. For many in the community, in the spirit of the constant evolution and change within our community, human dogs and their Handlers, dog training is not a humiliating experience, but rather an enjoyable, relaxing, and empowering one. That having been said, for some people human dog play can be an adventure in humiliation sought after by both parties. It can run the gamut from companion and friend to sub-human object. Make it what you want it to be.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE HANDLER
What’s in it for the Handler varies from person to person in the scene. For some, it is the incredible mix Of dominance and companionship that comes with owning and training a human dog. There is nothing quite like coming home from work and finding a human pup wagging on the front porch to greet you, or the simple pleasure Of watching television with your human pup’s head in your lap as you scratch his head and allow the stresses of the day to just melt away. Having a human who is both your companion and your pet, your protector and your submissive, your friend and your property is an experience relished by many Tops, Handlers, and Dominants.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE HUMAN PUP
What is the best way to find out what pups get out of Human Pup Play? Finding out from them directly!
I get an escape from the stress and expectations of my human work and human life. I get to enjoy life in its most basic form for a while.
Robert
My hood helps me when I’m feeling introverted. .i can be quite extroverted as a bear but STRAPPS helps me complete my personality…but recently my other hood has allowed me to expand my sexuality.
Strapps
Personal answers into the how and why of pup play, might hinder others more than they help. All personal journeys are just that, “personal”, they are a formula made up of a lifetime of positive and negative experiences. Trying to reduce that to the simplistic “I get this out of being a pup” is akin to not reading a novel but knowing in the end ‘the hero died cos he was greedy”..
King
I’m only just getting started in exploring pup play but for me at least it’s a bit like meditation. Getting to relax into a state where I’m free to express myself and just do things because they seem fun or interesting at the time while ignoring the voices that tell me how silly it may be. For me, I see dogs as some of the happiest creatures on the planet and I just want to try and get into the same headspace that’ll allow me to be that carefree and happy as well.
Folf
So I’m trying to think of how to put this and i’m struggling to put it together, so i wrote a bit of a thing i guess haha (and yeah, it sounds hella pretentious so i’m like wicked sorry eheh ^^”) because i’m not a traditional puppy, i’ve wondered if what i get out of this is what others get out of it, and i’ve worked out that there are a couple of different ways that this all ties together. Primarily, because of the nature of how i guess the whole “werewolf puppy” thing works for me, i guess it’s important to note that i can’t distinctly separate the kid side of me from the wuffy pup side of me. they’re the same me, just with a different outward appearance. The wuff part of my nature, though, definitely gives me more primal behaviours, and lets me feel free to challenge things and push boundaries that people in a more conventional age play or puppy play setting might not push. I mean, yeah there are the traditional elements like being curious and exploratory, being somewhat naive, and being ridiculously affectionate…but then there is this side that likes to test and push, coming out when i’m in wuffy mode as either play (which can look like mock-hunting, challenging, growling, biting, etc.) or defensive aggression if lines get crossed. analogous behaviours exist for when im in kid mode, and although a lot of people think it’s a kind of “oh, look at the brat who wants to be shown their place” situation, that isn’t really the case (i just don’t have the vocab tonight to explain *what* the situation is…i guess i can use the words “i am not a submissive werewolf” but that just comes across as arrogant and i don’t wanna do that…) i guess ultimately, together, the kid and the wuff are just who i am…they’re the way of expressing myself that most feels natural…so my form of puppy play gives me the ability and freedom to actually be myself, rather than the “pretend adult” (as one of my friends calls it) that i sometimes otherwise have to be i have a lot of trouble explaining the puppy side of me in terms that are separate from the kid side, because they aren’t distinct things like, the kid side has a lot of behaviours that are very puppyish, and the puppy side has a lot of thought processes that are more human… as a kid i growl and have been known to nip at people and i challenge and stuff
Tiger
THE ANIMAL CORE
Geoff Mains captured the essence Of leathersex and, in many regards, the essence Of human dog play, when he wrote the passage below almost two decades ago.
Leather begins with a litany of don’ts, creating from them a poetry of meaningful experience. We are taught that the asshole is dirty and despicable. Leather explores and builds on its forbidden sensations that are closely tied with those of sexual arousement. We are taught that urine is to be shunned and that the natural tendency Of children to play piss games are unclean. Leather uses the expression of pissing along with its overtones of territory, dominance and sexuality to cement bonds on a level that is basic and animal. Leather could be termed the art or culture Of the forbidden. This art has its beginnings in a very animal core that lies within all of us. That core is at its heart instinctive and addictive both strongly animal and distinctly human.
There is something at the core of Handlers and human dogs that is both strongly animal and distinctively human, and through human dog role playing, that core can be tapped and its strength released. Many of the rituals, and the draw, of leathersex, BDSM, and animal role playing are deeply spiritual, and allow players to tap the animal soul, the core that exists within every human but which has, for centuries, been repressed. Countless authors in the leather and BDSM communities have addressed this issue far better and far beyond the scope of this book. The authors within Urban Aboriginal and Leather Folk have performed an all-important service to the leather, BDSM, and human animal training communities with their insights and research. Mythographers, anthropologists, and theologians have also addressed the aspects of the animal within. As societies have changed over the centuries, the animal aspect of the human soul has been repressed, and human animal play is a way to re-awaken this primal feeling and need.
BASIC TRAINING
Extract from Woof! By Michael Daniels
The primary purpose of human dog training is to change or mould the human dog’s behaviour, through positive reinforcement and discipline, to meet the expectations and goals of the Handler. This behaviour modification is achieved through the use Of repetitive training techniques. The exact methodologies and techniques used by the Handler will vary from individual to individual
The most basic method for training a human dog is to supply a command, and accompany that command with any gestures or physical assistance necessary to ensure the human dog understands what is required of him, and how to do it well. Guiding the human dog through the motions of the behaviour, accompanied with rewards for correct behaviour and prompt discipline for inappropriate behaviour, is key.
The successful Handler will apply consistency and simplicity to all of his dog training sessions. Unlike when training a boy or slave, the Handler should not attempt to have a conversation with his human dog or to reason with the human dog. The human dog’s head-space is different from that Of boy or slave, and verbal language and reason aren’t part of the scene. The Handler should use simple, one-word commands, simple devices, and simple gestures to get the best results.
Simple tasks or behaviours will take only a few tries before the human dog understands completely what is expected of him. More complex tasks may require more intense training, and quite possibly several sessions to get the desired results.
REWARDS & DISCIPLINE
Extract from Woof! By Michael Daniels
The cornerstone to successfully training the human dog is the application Of a consistent system Of reward and punishment. The Handler should provide large amounts of positive reinforcement for correct behaviour or successful completion of tasks, and equal amounts of verbal correction and discipline to undesirable behaviours or unmet goals.
Positive reinforcement can be in the form of verbal praise – a well-placed ‘good boy’ can work wonders, as can scratches, belly rubs, and playtime. Some human dogs are food motivated, and respond well to treats such as cookies and biscuits, and all human dogs will do almost anything for some special time with their Handlers, including sexual rewards.
Handlers should find out what makes their human dogs tick – what really turns their human dogs on – and use these activities as rewards, or withhold these activities as forms of discipline. Appropriate discipline will depend on the mental makeup Of the human dog. For some, a furrowed brow is worth a thousand lashes. A simple look of disgust, or a stern bad dog’ will send him cringing into a corner, ashamed of his performance. Others may need more physical discipline to alter their behaviour. Successful physical discipline can include a swat on the ass or nose with a rolled-up newspaper or a belt or paddle to the ass. Locking the human dog in his crate and ignoring him is a good way for a Handler to show the human dog that he is unhappy with his behaviour.
By far the most successful training tool that I’ve found is an electric cock-ring applied around the human dog’s cock and balls, or an electric butt plug in his ass. The effect of these devices is intense and immediate, and does not require the Handler to be standing next to the human dog to apply the correction. Most are also designed to allow the Handler to control the duration and strength Of the correction via a hand-held remote control.
Standing across the room from his human dog, the Handler with such a device can correct improper behaviours such as use of human speech, moving from a command ‘stay,’ or aggression toward Other people or human dogs. It only takes once or twice for the human dog to get the idea, and no one else in the room even needs know that the human dog has received a correction – except for the look of pained surprise on his face when he gets zapped. I can’t recommend these devices highly enough for all modes of human dog training.
NAMING THE HUMAN DOG
Article Written by the pupOUTgear team
You may be a new puppy emerging into pup play looking for an identity, or a pup with a name simply skimming this article. BOTH of these pups should read through this article carefully. It is important to understand how to develop your name and be able to answer these questions for any new puppies that may look up to you for support.
When starting to train a new bio-puppy, their attention can be difficult to focus. One of the first lessons to teach a new dog is to associate the bio-pup with a name. A name allows you to gain and narrow the attention of the puppy while also giving feedback. No animal besides humans give a name such power over their person. Your puppy name is the most pleasurable sound to hear. It gives you attention and feedback. If you are hearing it spoken aloud, your tail begins to wag in anticipation of the person who wants to bring attention to you. This is the important reason why naming is a crucial aspect of puppy play. Attention, acknowledgement, and feedback are important tools of communication for puppies
How Do I Get A Name?
A pup name can either be given to you or found independently. Especially if you are in solitary play and you cannot ask someone to give your pup a name. Make certain that you put time and effort into sniffing out a good pup name. No bio-puppy is given a name that doesn’t associate with them. For example, Pup Shadow is given his name because he is easily frightened by shadows. The same lesson applies for a Sir/Handler naming their dog. A Sir/Handler would hesitate before giving their puppy the name “Rex” if they knew a better more appropriate one. Whatever the name is, it should make you excited and welcome upon hearing it.
What Should My Name Be?
The puppy’s name is an important aspect of puppy play. It is going to be the initial wag and excitement you feel when your ears perk to its call. It should not be something you dislike or doesn’t have any relevance to your puppy’s personality. A Master will not call you “Spot” if it is a name you either dislike strongly or has nothing to do with you. Your name should define you as a puppy. Pup names can range from something simple describing how you play as a pup OR can be more complex. Names can be as simple as Rex, Spot, Waffles OR can evolve into something more compound such as Aloysius or Sirus.
Should a Pup Name be Given to Me or Should I Find One Myself?
This is a common topic of debate when discussing puppy names. There is a common belief that a pup name should be given to you by a Master/Sir/Handler/Alpha. However, this policy excludes the full opportunity puppy play offers. If you are given a name that doesn’t suit you, it limits your ability to connect with your pup mindset. In the defence of this policy, the name being given to you may be a more appropriate option for slave or humiliation puppies. The humiliation of being given a name you dislike may enhance your experience.
For puppies practising solitary play or wanting to give themselves a name, take some time to explore your pup mindset without a name first. How does it feel? Do you desire one day to be able to use a name that can give you feedback or attention? Think about the future and go forward with your inspiration in finding a name. Look up popular puppy names on the internet. Sniff out how different cultures name their pets. Find something suitable and stimulating that makes your ears perk and your tail wag furiously.
Can I Change Names?
The puppy has limitless freedom to change their name. Many situations present themselves as necessary opportunities to renew the puppy within you. Puppy names carry with them memories and associations such as a past Sir or bad relationship. These associations limit your experience in pup mindset because you feel the name is owned/collared by this memory. A new puppy name severs these connections with negative memories. When discovering your puppy, you may find that your name grows dull and expected. These names cause a puppy to strain to live up to the name instead of the pup within them. These names create an experience that is also dull and expected. Changing your name can be a welcoming change of pace. Caution: Changing your name often can also limit your experience. The puppy inside of you can feel confused and unwelcome with the new name. Much like a bio-puppy with a new home and new name after previously being given a name. Change your name as often as you feel is comfortable and necessary.
HOUSEBREAKING – R18 Fetish Scenes
Extract from Woof! By Michael Daniels
Whether to include toilet training, or housebreaking, as part of the human dog’s behaviour is an aspect that generates a great deal of discussion and controversy, but this book would be incomplete without giving this topic its due, and presenting both sides of the housebreaking debate.
Housebreaking and to what degree is a matter Of personal taste which should be discussed between the Handler and human dog before any dog play scene begins. Some Handlers will not want to deal with the mess associated with housebreaking, whereas for other players, water sports and even scat may be part of their sexual regimen, and housebreaking can become a simple extension Of that type Of sex play.
The issue of teaching the human dog to urinate outside, or on newspapers, or in a designated spot in the house is fairly straightforward.
If the weather permits, and the back yard is sufficiently secluded, it’s really not a big deal for the human dog to trot through the back door, find a tree, lift his leg, and let loose. Of course, if the door is closed, the human dog must learn to scratch or whine to be let out, and to be let back in again.
The first time the human dog attempts to urinate from all fours may be a bit awkward and even amusing, but with a little practice, he will learn to urinate from this position without splashing or spraying all over himself.
Paper training a human dog involves placing layers of newspaper on an appropriate tile or linoleum surface in the house, and teaching the human dog to urinate on the papers. As a matter of practicality, the typical human bladder holds much more liquid than the typical dog or puppy bladder, and newspaper isn’t the fastest-absorbing substance. Use of under padding such as that used in hospitals or sold at convalescent centres for bed-wetters is a more functional alternative.
Some Handlers prefer to use adult diapers on their human dog, especially if the human dog is to be caged for a long period of time or for overnight scenes where the human dog spends the entire night in pup mode. Bladders are one thing. Bowels are quite another, and there really aren’t many alternatives.
If the human dog is wearing paws, it will be impossible for him to clean up after himself after defecating. Unless the Handler is prepared to either (a) clean the human dog’s crack or (b) let the human dog run around unclean and stinking, the best alternative is to take a short break from the play scene. The Handler can remove the paws, let him go to the bathroom, clean himself up, and then return to human dog mode when he’s finished. The need to defecate can be minimised for short term scenes by having the human dog thoroughly clean out before play begins. Many of us already have enema hoses hooked directly to our shower heads for just that purpose. You don’t have to be into human dog play or BDSM to appreciate the importance of bottoms cleaning out before anal play. Having the human dog clean out before play also makes it more clean and comfortable for him to wear a butt plug tail.