I get a lot of questions about Puppy Play, but the question I received from @fenix-pride on Tumblr really got me thinking. He simply asked:
- “What is it like wearing a Pup Hood?”
This really got me thinking... there’s a short answer, and we’ll start there. But, there’s also my personal experience in my Pup Hood and we’re really gonna dive into that!
The Short Answer
It’s literally different for everyone.
No, really... that’s the short answer. Every Pups experience is different, and the answer you’ll get to this question will vary drastically from Pup to Pup. There’s no right or wrong answer, and there’s no limit to the ways you can express your enjoyment of the Pup Hood or Mask.
- REMINDER: there is NO GEAR required to participate in Human Puppy Play .
For some, the hood is just a bit of gear that they put on. They enjoy their hood, but it’s just an accessory item. They don’t get anything more out of this piece of gear than they might any other piece.
For others, the hood might represent a very sacred item... it may be the source of their headspace or even the soul of their Puppy self. The hood may be their primary, or even only gateway into Pupspace.
There really is no limit to where a Pup may land on the spectrum of feelings about their hood. For me, I land in the sacred item end of the spectrum.
The Long Answer:
how I feel while wearing my hood... and how I feel about my hood
When it comes to me, personally, I feel a lot of different things when I wear my hood. Some of what I feel has even changed over time, evolving with my as I evolve and grow as a Pup.
When I first got my hood, it was an essential gateway for me to Pupspace. It allowed me to achieve a real shift in headspace, letting go of my human concerns and enjoy Pupping Out. Over time, this has shifted. I’m no longer tied to my hood in order to achieve a headspace, however, my hood can now push me deeper and deeper into headspace.
When my hood is on, my headspace immediately shifts into a Pupspace. I’m always more outgoing, free spirited and much more confident in myself. The parts of me that I’ve been able to reconnect with, through my hood, are parts of me I didn’t realize still existed... I actually thought they’d been left behind in childhood.
The ability to be a fun loving & goofy pup, without regard for the opinions of others, has been one of the most rewarding things about my Pupspace experience.
I mentioned that I have a variety of headspaces that I enter while in my hood, and a lot of this is centered around the situation I’m in. From Alpha Pup to Subby Puppy and other headapaces, my experience adjusts to my environment.
My first Pup headspace, is all about being around my Alpha. In his presence I am my most Puppy and most Submissive self. This headspace first solidified within me that first moment my Alpha Gadget put a hood on me for the first time. The change was dramatic, instantaneous and wholly unexpected. For my Alpha I am his eager and willingly obedient Submissive Service Puppy. Our dynamic is natural and came into being of its own accord. Together, during the course of our relationship, we’ve built the trust and love necessary for this dynamic to thrive.
The second headspace I have is my Guard Dog/Pup headspace. It’s stilk a Pupspace, but carries a greater degree of awareness and a certain level of alert with it. This is just a headspace that grew out of a need to be aware of my surroundings in order to look out for both myself and those around me. I’m a friendly Guard Pup... but, nobody has tested my patience just yet 😅
More recently, I’ve begun developing my own Alpha headspace. A few of my close Pup friends have always triggered something more dominant in me, and now that headspace is beginning to take real shape. The specifics of this headspace do vary depending on who I’m expressing that with... never with my Alpha 🤪... but the basics of this headspace are a mix of aggressive dominance with a caring and nurturing edge.
I also wanted to touch on how I feel about my hood. For me, my hood is the most sacred piece of gear I own. My hood embodies Farrstrider, and allows me to express myself as a Pup in ways I don’t always feel comfortable expressing out of the hood. I’m very protective and proud of my hood, and for this reason, I don’t allow others to try on my hood... my hood is a literal extension of myself... not all Pups feel this way, and that’s great! But for me, I just can’t go down that road with this hood... maybe an alternate hood in the future.
So, yeah... that’s my take on how it feels to wear a hood and how I feel about my hood. I’d love to hear about your experiences & feelings! 🐶🐾
