Dog Dish 013 — Intro to Puppy Play
Arf! Pup Aechus here with The Dog Dish, a paw’d-cast all about puppy play and the humans behind the hoods.
This episode is designed for folks who don't know what puppy play is or what it involves. You're probably listening to this because a friend of yours referred you to it. You probably asked them something like, "You're into what now?" Or maybe, "So I've heard about puppy play, but I don't understand it. What's it all about?" Or maybe you saw some human pups at a public event like Pride or somewhere online, and you're trying to figure out what the hell you just witnessed and why people would do that sort of thing.
Whatever brought you here, welcome. Let's see if we can answer those questions and help you figure out what's going on. I'll start with a really broad overview of what puppy play is, then how puppy play works, and then where puppy play came from.
So let's start with that overview. At its absolute most basic, puppy play is zoomorphic escapism. Let me break down those words. First, zoo-morphism means pretending to be animals. Second, escapism is simply taking a mental vacation. Another way of thinking of it is as role playing as a dog or, in kid's terms, it's make-believing that you're a puppy.
That might already sound like fun, but if not, it probably prompts the question, "Why would anyone want to do that? What's the point?"
Alright. If you've ever had a pet dog, or if you've spent any time around one, you probably saw how easy and simple their day-to-day life was. You probably saw that the dog's biggest concerns were things like what toy to chew on next, where to take their next nap, or maybe finding something new to chase for a bit—like even their own tail. Their lives are simple, silly, care-free, and fun. They react in the moment to their immediate environment.
Compare that with the pressures of daily life for us humans, throw in planning for the future, overfull email inboxes, jobs to manage, housework to do, families to care for, etc., and the difference becomes obvious: The life of a dog is simple and playful. It's a stark contrast to the stresses of adulting. Having it as easy as a pet dog, even for just a while, can hold a lot of appeal. So the idea is, why not pretend to be a dog for a bit and tap into that simplicity and playfulness?
For many people, that's the extent of it. Puppy play is merely an opportunity to pretend, just for a bit, that life is simple and playful and fully present. When a human puppy pretends well enough, they can start to believe it a bit and start to think about things from the perspective of a dog. That's a pretty tranquil state of mind because it means letting go of normal human concerns and shifting to a completely different mindset. In puppy play, that mindset is called "headspace". It's basically the fundamental, defining goal of puppy play: to get into a headspace that allows a person to relax and have simple, basic fun.
If that sounds nice, you now understand the basic appeal of puppy play. Everything else is an extension of that one basic appeal.
Now before I move on, I want to make two points here. First, I keep talking about puppies and dogs because that's the most common and visible version of this activity, but a newer and more accurate phrasing is to call it "pet play", for good reason: Not everyone is drawn to the life of a dog. For instance, pretending you're a cat works just as well and still involves that idea of headspace. Others like pretending they're ponies. Or monkeys. Or whatever. The whole point is to pretend to be an animal with simpler needs and a simpler life than a human's. Remember: zoomorphic escapism.
The second point I want to make is that I'm *not* talking about furries here. Furries, to drastically oversimplify in case the word is unfamiliar to you, are people who dress up like a school or team mascot or a theme-park character (wearing what's called a "fursuit"). Furries work to bring joy to others through expressive, friendly interactions. So to highlight the contrast here, if puppy play is zoomorphic escapism, furries engage in anthropomorphic cosplay. So, cosplay is dressing up in costumes (that’s the fursuit, making the person look like their furry character or “fursona”), and those lovable fuzzy animals then walk around on two feet, wave at other people, and give tons of hugs—in other words, they act like people (that's anthopomorphism). While both puppies and furries aim for playful fun, the activities and mindsets are wildly different. Many people are into both forms of play, but the two aren't very similar at all because they take different routes to get to different destinations. Zoomorphic escapism and anthropomorphic cosplay are completely distinct activities.
Okay, now that you understand the basics of what puppy play is, let’s talk about how it works.
Just like each real dog you've met has its own personality, mannerisms, interests and habits—basically, its own way of "doing dog", each person involved in puppy play brings their own priorities, expectations, and approaches. So when I talk about how to "do puppy play", I'm suggesting norms here, rather than rules, and there’s plenty of variability, both locally and globally.
Most commonly in public spaces, puppy play looks like grown-ass adults crawling around on all fours, sniffing each other, roughhousing, chasing each other, or playing with chew toys made for actual dogs. That sort of play is exhausting for humans accustomed to life on two feet, so public events also often include spaces where human pups will just flop over to relax or possibly snuggle with one another or a nearby human.
At these events, which we call "moshes", the general goal is for each human pup to get into some degree of headspace and, as we say, "pup out"—simply behaving or existing in that simpler mindset that draws so many of us to this particular activity. If you're a bystander at this kind of event, remember that puppy play is, again, zoomorphic escapism. You can help the make-believe seem more real to everyone involved if you treat participants as if they actually are the animals they're pretending to be.
For instance, think of how you talk to humans. You use complete sentences and work to make a clear and often complex point relying on reasoning and understanding. Now think of how you talk to an actual dog. (A quick side note: When folks in the pet-play community talk about “real dogs” we usually use the phrases “bio-pup” or “canine” to differentiate. Because—sarcasm here—we’re “real" dogs, too, right?) Anyway, think of how you talk to a canine. You might use complete sentences, but you know that's silly, and that the dog doesn't actually understand everything you say. Instead, you let your emotions carry more weight than your vocabulary. You expect the dog to follow your mood and intentions, and you let key words stand out when you know they'll mean something to the dog. (You know, blah blah RIDE? Or blah blah WALK, That sort of thing.)
So if you're at a public pet-play event and you find yourself wondering what to do or how to interact with them, it's simple: However you would normally interact with a real dog is exactly how you should interact with the human puppies, as well. (“Who’s a good puppy?” works just how you’d expect, as do key words like “treat”, “sit”, and “speak”.)
So that's how puppy play works in public spaces. But what about more private environments?
How does puppy play work at home? There, puppy play tends to be more varied and often includes a power-exchange dynamic, with one person playing the role of a trainer or handler while the other person takes the role of puppy. These dynamics can range from supportive and affectionate to pre-negotiated degradation and isolation, depending on what the people involved plan for and agree to. At a larger scale, puppies often form packs, a sort of extended family-group dynamic that comes in any form you could imagine, with all sorts of arrangements, hierarchies, and living situations.
So first I talked about public play and then about private play. What about intimate play? Sometimes, private puppy play includes sex. Let's face it—dogs don't wear clothing, and a lot of the gear used in human puppy play is intentionally sexy. Those situations alone can lead to arousal and sexual play. There’s also that animalistic element to acknowledge—grunting and panting can be a sign of good, intense sex—just like they can indicate that real dogs are having fun while playing. It’s true that there can be some overlap between the two kinds of playful expression.
And one more thing about sex and pet play: When people wear their puppy masks (which we typically call "hoods" for reasons I'll get into in a minute), their human faces are hidden, which can give people more confidence to do naughty things in photos or videos they share online. Between that element of anonymity and the idea of a playful puppy, it’s easy to see why human puppies are popular in the sexy/kinky corners of platforms like Instagram and Twitter. And if I just sent you down a rabbit hole you never knew existed, I am so sorry. (Not really.)
The connection between sex and puppy play is honestly a nod to its history, so let's talk about that for a minute.
While the exact origins of human-pet play are murky, the generally accepted story goes like this: Folks in the BDSM community looked for new, creative ways to bring degradation into their dynamics, possibly as punishment, possibly as a fetish for being diminished or ignored. Anyway, if you think about the hierarchy of a dinner table, there's the person whose place is at the head of the table, the others dining at that table, and the people serving the table. And then there's the dog lying under the table, waiting for scraps, forced to eat out of a bowl off to the side if they behave.
You see where I'm going with this. Puppy play, we generally assume, probably started as a form of degradation where the pup was ignored, in trouble, or some such. But if you think back to what I said at the top of the episode, being someone's pet dog really isn't a hard life. I suspect someone at some point was being quote-unquote "punished" and actually found themselves enjoying the scenario and relaxing into the role play. Do that enough, spread the word, and puppy play becomes A Thing™.
Then in terms of its popularity, within the BDSM community, puppy play is often referred to tongue-in-cheek as "BDSM lite". It has all the trappings of more commonplace BDSM activities—dominance, submission, and possible masochistic restraint or punishment. But what about the B? Is Bondage involved in puppy play?
This is where the puppy hood comes in—and why we call it a "hood", not a "mask". Bondage hoods are designed for sensory depravation and often cover the whole head and block the eyes, ears, and sometimes the mouth. That same sensory depravation can help people get into puppy headspace by blocking out the sights, sounds, and linguistic cues of the human world. Soooo, put on a Bondage hood, attach some cute perky ears, then maybe add a muzzle, and suddenly you go from bondage sub to human puppy in two simple steps. The hood that you've probably seen before—let's face it, the thing that probably led you to ask someone what this is all about—has its roots in BDSM play, even though—again, as you've probably seen—it's moved a long way from those origins in today’s common practice, especially in the United States.
So let’s talk about today’s common practices—and tomorrow’s.
Nowadays, puppy play has become a wildly popular way for people to access the BDSM, Leather, or fetish and kink communities. It's simple, playful, and has a low barrier of entry because it draws on the familiar. If you’ve ever been around a pet, you know enough to participate in pet play. Done.
It's a great way for curious people to try out various aspects of those communities and see what works for them. Pet play also serves as a simple and accessible way to take a mental break for a bit, and it can be an effective component of someone's overall mental-health regimen. To be clear, pet play should never and can never replace the services of a trained and certified therapist (see our mental-health episode for details on that), but it can be a great way to get out of one's head for a bit and spend time in a calmer place.
Because it allows people to easily mentally escape with little to no initial financial cost, pet play has become especially attractive to folks who struggle with anxiety, awkwardness, or other social challenges. As a result, the pet-play community tends to serve as a safe haven for folks struggling with these issues, providing almost a support group of sorts.
And like I said before, the design of a puppy hood allows people to create photos and videos of them doing things they might not want associated with their face, so the gear used in puppy play can provide access to an element of performance some folks might not otherwise unlock.
And one last thing. I said earlier that pet play isn't always about puppies—that people can role-play as any number of animals. Puppy play is the most popular, but it's by no means the only. There is growing pressure within the community of folks who engage in this kind of activity to become more inclusive and to understand that not everyone associates with dog mentality or behavior. Thus, the future of puppy play is looking more and more the future of *pet* play. While pups will still very much be a popular activity for plenty of time to come, we're likely to see a greater mix of species, a broader variety of play spaces, and a greater sense of inclusion in this silliness we all enjoy so much. Everyone should have the ability to engage in this form of play and to find community and support for what helps them escape.
So there you have it. That's a quick crash-course in puppy play, letting you know what it was that you saw or heard about. I hope the scene makes a bit more sense now, and I encourage you to reach out to folks in your local and/or online communities to connect with others and start exploring what aspects of pet play resonate with you.
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