OK, I'm a Pup... now what?
One of the most common requests for advice that I receive is related to advice for getting started as a Pup. The kink-world of Human Puppies and their Handlers is a big one and the open ended nature of the kink lends itself to a lot of confusion to newcomers in the community. I remember when I was just getting started, how confused and unsure of myself I was... I had a lot of trouble figuring out where to even start!
I was lucky to meet my Alpha, Pup Gadget, early on in my journey and benefit from his guidance. However, not everyone is lucky enough to make a connection like that so early in their journey... and, if you read my previous blogs about Alphas & Pup Brothers then you know, I believe that those special relationships should not be forced; rather allowed to grow and form in their own way and time. So, what then? Well, Education is what I recommend!
EDUCATION is FUNdamental!
Attending an Intro to Service Puppy Training Class put on by SEA-PAH
I know, it's not the first thing you would think of when you think about Kinks & Fetishes... but, I found that educating myself about Puppy Play (and other Kinks & Fetishes) helped me to grow both as an individual Puppy as well as a member of the Community.
First, and foremost, I want to review safety! I also have a number of other sources to share with you; I found those sources to be instrumental as I got started on my journey! Next, I'll be reviewing the very important concept of Aftercare; not everyone is familiar with the importance of Aftercare, but I would say that Aftercare is ESSENTIAL!
Last but not least, I'm going to give you my Intro to Pupping class... my own take on a few things you can do to help get yourself started pupping! This is what I've taught a few new Pups to help get them started on their journeys and it can help others get started too!
Safety First!
That's right! Safety safety safety! Say it with me: BARK!... oops... Safety!
Remember, while you are a Puppy... you're a HUMAN Puppy, and the human body wasn't designed to be doing the things that Human Puppies tend to do! While there is no gear required in order for one to be a Human Puppy... the fact is, is that a couple of pieces of safety gear are essential to Human Puppies who spend a lot of time on all fours.
Our human bodies were designed to be upright, on our two hind-paws... the knees, however, were NOT designed for bearing the weight of our bodies or the impact of crawling/walking/running on them. Similarly, our Hands and Wrists were designed to manipulate tools and objects with dexterity... not to bear the forces and stress exerted when we go Pupping about on all fours... be it casually at home, or even on mosh mats.
So... I'm a Human Puppy but my human body wasn't designed for this... what do you suggest?
Well, simple! A few pieces of safety gear can go a LONG way towards making your Puppy Time a happy and safe time. I strongly suggest knee-pads and padded gloves... and if those gloves also happen to stiffen the wrist, even better!
Knee pads help to protect your knees from injuries like scrapes & bruises (or worse) when you're on your knees pupping about. Padded Gloves do the same for your knuckles, protecting your hands from scrapes, cuts, bruises or worse! If your gloves, like mine, stiffen the wrist then you can also help to protect yourself against wrist injuries.
Perhaps you might be wondering why suggest that you use gloves that are padded on the knuckle instead of the palms?
I took these photos without gloves solely to best illustrate my points.
Well, quite simply, it's a matter of safety & injury prevention. When you're on your human hands & knees as a Puppy, the safest way to use your hands as paws is to make a fist and rest your body weight across the front of your fist... maintaining a straight wrist. Doing this will help your body to take the weight and impact of moving around as a pup much easier, and will also help prevent injury to the wrist. If you put your hands down with an open palm, it causes your wrist to bend to a significant degree... placing them very close to the breaking point... it also exposes your splayed fingers to injury caused by being stepped on or bent or, well... as any experienced Human Puppy will tell you, when you're "puppin' out" you'll often loose track of yourself... so it's best to take precautions to protect yourself from injury.
Let's take a look at a couple of options for Knee Pads & Gloves:
Fort Troff Knee Pads
The Fort Troff Skull Fuck Knee Pads are what I wear for moshing & puppin' about. These are basically a very nice pair of volleyball style knee-pads with a rubber grip added to the knee-cap with the Fort Troff Logo!
You can check these out for yourself by checking out Gear Accessories at Fort Troff!
Other Protective Knee Pad Options
Aside from the kneepads available from kink & fetish retailers like Fort Troff above, you can also find some great products like this one from Bodyprox that will provide your knees with the protection and safety they need!
In addition to the product pictured to the left, you can use the link below to check out the wide array of Protective Knee Pads available on Amazon.
Just keep in mind, that if they're for moshing, it's best to avoid hard plastics, as that could injure other pups!
Delux Tactical Knee Pads
Mr-S-Leather
These knee pads are a bit heavier duty. For Pups, I suggest these for going on walkies on hard or rough and varied terrain... like asphalt. This style is not ideal for moshing, especially because of the hard plastic pieces that could injure other pups. Also, the way the leg straps hold these on isn't suited to the rigorous sporty activity of a Puppy Mosh. Still, a great knee pad for walkies & being on non-moshing terrain! Check them out at the link below 😉
Sanbull MMA Gloves
When I picked out a pair of gloves, I chose these ones from Sanbull because they were both budget friendly, padded where it counts and comfortable to wear! They have great padding for the knuckles, and the wide wrist band stiffens the wrists! I also chose a fingerless style so that when I'm pupping on my own I'm still able to use my fingers if necessary.
Other Protective Gloves
When it comes to protection for your hands, I tend to recommend products from the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) world.
Why MMA? Simple - they check all the boxes!
MMA Gloves, like the Brace Master pictured to the left have fantastically padded knuckles and wrist bands that will stiffen the wrist, restricting movement available. Not only does the padding help protect your hands from injury, but the thick & wide wrist band will help to protect your wrists from injuries like sprains & strains... or worse!
You can check out the Brace Master at the link to the left, or you can check out a variety of MMA Gloves available on amazon at the link below! Many of them come in a variety of styles & colors to suit your own unique pup style.
Comfy mitts that are well padded for use as Puppy Mitts. The handy D-rings on the sides make them bondage ready too 😈
Padded Fist Mitts
Mr-S-Leather
These padded fist mitts are my Alphas. They belt onto the paws and force the Puppy to maintain a fist while wearing them. They're super comfy, and well padded for pupping about! They're also bondage ready... but, that's a story for another blog 😜
Because they belt onto the paws, I recommend using these when you're with someone else... as being unable to use your fingers could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. Either way, have fun! Check them out at the link below if you're interested 😉
Where can I Learn More?
As I got started on my journey in Pup, I found myself searching for even more places to learn everything I could! What I learned along the way, is that it's equally important to educate yourself about the entire Kink Community... not just the one or ones that I'm expressing. Learning about all manner of Kinks has really helped me to be a better member of the Kink Community at large and better prepared to interact with my fellow Pups! After all, many of us express more than one Kink or Fetish in combination!
While I am doing my best to make my website and blog a fantastic resource, I don't want to discount the resources that I myself found helpful when I got started! I'm not the only one with a passion for my Kinks and information to share with everyone; far from it! There are other amazing people out there and I'd love for you to have those resources for yourself as well!
PupPlay.info
One of the first websites I found that had a lot of fantastic information and resources specifically focused towards Human Puppies was pupplay.info!
This website is simply fantastic! It's full of great information and is specifically a Pup-Centric website. Be sure to check them out and utilize their resources! They even have links to Pup & Handler Groups all around the world!
NoSafeWord Podcast & Ungagged Podcast
The NoSafeWord Podcast has, by far, been my absolute favorite way to learn about all kinds of Kinks & Fetishes! Sparky, Daddy Tony & the crew do a fantastic job of putting together entertaining shows that are also often educational. Now, not every show is going to educate you on a Kink; sometimes it's about community news and information. I learned a LOT from them though... from community etiquette to how-to's, the information they have to share is plentiful!
Seriously, I even learned how to get started with WaterSports thanks to the Ungagged Episodes on NoSafeWord!
Be sure to check out the entire podcast on their website: nosafeword.com
You can also find most of their recent episodes on the iTunes library, so be sure to look for them wherever you enjoy Podcasts!
Aftercare - It's Essential!
But... just what is Aftercare? Well, simply put... it's what comes after. Aftercare is an important practice following any situation... and can be applied to any part of your life (not just the Kinky parts 😉).
Aftercare can be a lot of different things, and the needs will often vary from individual to individual. The purpose of Aftercare is to return yourself to your natural headspace. Often times, when involved in a Kinky Play Scene or attending a Kink Event headspace will enter into an altered state... be it Pupspace or another headspace; and it's important to have a safe way to bring yourself down out of that headspace.
Why? Well, a common term that many people use following a big convention or event is "EVENT DROP." Event Drop is a situational depression caused by returning to your normal every-day life after, well, after whatever it was that you were doing that elevated your emotions and altered your headspace.
I remember after I attended my first big event, Camp K9, last August... I came home and tried to thrust myself immediately into my everyday life. I quickly began to feel intensely depressed; but I couldn't quite put my paw on why. I'd had an amazing weekend at Camp with my Alpha; what would I have to be sad about? As it turns out, I was experiencing some Event Drop.
OK, so Aftercare helps to keep you from experiencing situational depression
like Event Drop... but, what is Aftercare?
As I mentioned before, Aftercare is a lot of different things to different individuals. However, there are a few basic categories that it can be broken down into:
Eating food after play is an excellent aftercare practice!
Remember to hydrate! Water is a pups best friend.
Take the time to care for your mind, in whatever way works best for you! It's absolutely essential to good mental health!
- Nourishment: This one is pretty universal... aside from personal tastes. When you participate in a physical activity... be it sexual play, non-sexual play or just hoofing it around an event/convention; your body is depleted of resources. It's important to nourish your body to replace the resources you've burned up. It's equally important to make good choices with what you put in your body as nourishment... avoid things like soda, junk food & alcohol as those will not help to recharge the body. Water & a proper meal are what you want to plan for. Even better... plan ahead and have some ready to go afterwards. 😉
- Mental Care: Participating in kinky sexual situations & play scenes or even attending events can often expose one to a lot of different environmental stimulations. Those stimulations can often affect our emotions.
For example: spending an entire weekend in varying states of Pup Headspace at camp last year, I was in a constant state of Puppy. As a Human Puppy, I tend to be very happy... often elated. In addition to the headspace, I was put into chastity for the first time... I also enjoyed several sexual play scenes with my Alpha, including my first watersports scene... I also witnessed many other people enjoying themselves in a variety of ways. It was a fantastic weekend.
That was more time than I'd ever spend in a constant headspace... and experiencing event drop following the weekend was a wake-up call. It taught me that I really needed to plan for a way to debrief following an event like that. I was really dying to discuss my weekend at length with someone, to share my experiences and my joy... but I didn't have an opportunity to do that; nor did I realize it at the time (hindsight is always better).
Everyone will have a different need in aftercare. In addition to benefitting from a debriefing, I've also learned that I benefit mentally from cuddling... being physically and emotionally intimate. Others though, might benefit more from quite time to themselves. Everyone is going to have their own needs... and by everyone, I mean EVERYONE.
It doesn't matter if you're Dominant, Submissive, Switch or none of the above... it's important to let others know what you need in order to make sure you take care of yourself mentally as well as physically.
To review: Aftercare is what comes after. It's the process of taking care of both your physical and mental self following an experience; and it will vary for everyone. So make sure you talk about this, and make sure you practice it... you'll be happier for having done so.
Intro to Pupping
OK, here we are... we've arrived at the training portion of today's blog. The purpose of this intro class is to give anyone reading, the tools/knowledge they need to be able to get started expressing themselves as Human Puppies. Handler/Trainers - You can benefit from this too... It may not be directed at you, but this is how you yourself could handle/train a Puppy... so think about how you'd apply it from your end of the leash 😉.
Side note: This training is really focused on an active pupping out time... however, there are plenty of ways to also pup out in quieter and more reserved ways. I sometimes just curl up on the couch & watch something... it's perfectly OK to Pup in whatever way speaks to you; no mater how active or inactive you are during that time... the only thing that matters is that you're getting the experience you want out of that time.
Step 1 - Preparing Yourself to Pup
As I mentioned earlier... Gear is NOT required to be a Human Puppy... however, if you want to spend time on all fours I strongly suggest using Protective Knee Pads & Gloves. If you don't have any of that gear just yet, no problem... you'll want to substitute location for gear until you can get your safety gear.
When moshing outside, check the ground for dangerous objects first!
What do I mean by substitute location for gear? Well, if you have Knee Pads and Gloves you can enjoy some time on all fours in just about any room of the house or even in the yard without woo much worry of injury (yes, there are other concerns... stay tuned). However, if you lack safety gear then you'll want to select a softer location like a Bed... if you're feeling really ambitious, you could even put a few mattresses together on the floor of a room and use them as extra thick mosh mats.
Make sure you're properly hydrated, and that you've eaten... but not too recently. Moshing & Pupping is just like other physical activities... swimming for example... and if you've eaten a large meal just before Pupping, you're likely to cramp up (or worse)... lets try to avoid vomiting during Pup Time, and just make sure you're not already hungry before you start.
Step 2 - Preparing a Location to Pup
OK, so now you're ready to be pupping. You've got your gear handy, or an alternate location picked out... Now it's time to prepare your Pupping location.
What's there to prepare? Well, surprising as it might sound, when you're busy pupping you're not going to be paying as much attention to your surroundings as you might think. It's important to clear the area of obstructions & potentially dangerous objects... in the same way you might prepare a space for a child or bio-puppy to play in.
Inside, you'll want to clear a nice space to pup in. I use my living room... I can't really move the couch out of the way, but theres a chest in the middle that I can push out of the way to give myself a nice area to pup around in. I'll also vacuum the area to make sure there aren't any surprising or sneaky little pebbles or other objects brought inside on shoes or bio-puppy paws. If your space is outside, you'll want to check the area you'll be pupping in to make sure there aren't any rocks or other potentially problematic objects... it would also be ideal if the outside space was as flat & even ground as possible.
On a bed, it's good to make sure the sheets are either pulled tight, or taken off the bed entirely... no fun getting your paws all caught up in the loose sheets because they were all bunched up. Also, be mindful if you're on the bed as your space will be more limited.
Step 3 - Time to Pup!
All ready to Pup in Alphas Play Room... it even has Mosh Mats!
Ok, your body is prepared and so is your space. Now it's time to start enjoying some pup time. If you've got gear to put on, this is the time to get geared up. Ok, fine, maybe you were mostly geared up already... but, whatever you haven't got into... or maybe out of 😉... go ahead and finish getting into your Pupping attire.
Now, you can pup however you like... but, for today, I'm going to run you through the very basic intro-to-pupping training that I've run other new pups through. It starts with a lesson in the proper, and safest, way to be on your fore-paws... the hind paws (knees) are kinda set in their way, but the fore-paws, as we discussed earlier, are more specific for safety reasons.
Fore-Paw Posture
Notice in these photos, how my fore-paws are spaced shoulder width apart, and my knuckles are firmly planted flat on the ground.
This keeps my wrists more or less straight, and evenly distributes my weight across the knuckles. This is a great posture to hold... both for comfort and safety!
3 Basic Presentation Positions
Now that we've covered how to hold your paws under you when you're on all fours, the next thing I like to cover with newer pups are a few basic presentation positions that my Alpha taught me. These are based on training from Sirius Pack in Australia. The purpose of these positions is to allow a Pup to hold a comfortable pup position that allows them to look out at the space in front of them without straining the neck. These positions are great for taking a break from moshing and other pup activities.
Side Note: What is Moshing? Pup Moshing activities include wrestling, playing with toys, playful naughtiness and other activities that Pups get up to when they're playing in a puppy play space.
Submissive
In this presentation position, the puppy is sat back on their haunches and has brought their fore-paws close together, leaning forward to rest on them. This position lowers the shoulders, creating a slope from neck to shoulder.
In this position, a Puppy is able to easily look around to see what's in front of and around them without straining the neck. This is a fantastic position to put a Puppy in as a handler, an Alpha or another dominant figure to that Puppy. It's also a great position that a Puppy could use to indicate their submission to a dominant figure.
Assertive
In this presentation position the Puppy is sat back and upright on their haunches. Their fore-paws are placed on their thighs and their shoulders are up and level, pushing their chest out slightly.
This position indicates an assertive posture, a show of strength to others and indicates that the Puppy is neither in a submissive or dominant mood, or to simply indicate that the puppy is not feeling particularly submissive or dominant at that time.
This is another fantastic position allowing the Puppy to survey their surroundings without putting stress on the neck.
Dominant
In this presentation position the Puppy is sat back and upright on their haunches. Their fore-paws are placed on their hips causing their shoulders to move up and slightly back while pushing their chest out.
This position is an excellent way for a Puppy to indicate dominance over another, or to indicate an interest in dominating another.
This is a fantastic position for an Alpha Pup when asserting dominance over a submissive.
As with the other presentations, this position again gives the Puppy an easy view of their surroundings without straining the neck.
Take time to practice these presentation positions for yourself. If you have a mirror you can practice in front of, that's super! If you lack a mirror, you can do what I do and use your smartphone selfie camera... just prop your phone up somewhere safe so that you'll be able to see yourself and then get to practicing!
Bark Awrufff Grrrrrr Arf! ... ? ... Arooo?
The next question I seem to always get, once we've reached this stage... is always about the various noises one might be expected to make as a Human Puppy. Well, that answers easy! If it comes out of your muzzle, then it's the right noise for you to make! Honestly, it doesn't matter! Think of all the bio-dogs & bio-puppies (not to mention bio-wolves & bio-coyotes) out there... all making their own unique noises and sounds!
Similarly, with Human Puppies, I've heard all manner of barks & arfs & growls & whines... it's part of what makes being a Human Puppy so much fun! Finding out how others are expressing themselves as Pup, and getting to share those expressions with each other!
So, for real! Whatever sound you feel bubbling up within you... EMBRACE IT! Release those bubbles & own those sounds! There's no wrong (or right) way to vocalize yourself as Pup... whatever sounds come naturally to you are going to be the right sounds for you to make!
Awroooooooooo! *happy wags*
Moshing in Private V Moshing in Public... HELP?!?
While there are some activities that aren't always going to be acceptable at a public Mosh event... be sure to check with the Public Mosh organizers as to the rules of their Mosh. But, when it gets right down to the basics, they're exactly the same!
CONSENT... I'll say it again... CONSENT...
Consent is KEY in the mosh environment. If you're approaching another Pup on the mats, or a handler... or if you're being approached; CONSENT needs to be sought prior to simply tackling someone you don't know. It's important to make sure that the activities you want to enjoy, are mutually agreeable activities.
But, how do I get consent when I'm Pupping?
It's true... when we're pupping out we aren't always speaking with human words. But, the reality is that we're HUMAN Puppies... not bio-puppies... we do have the capacity to speak. If all else fails, try using human words to ask permission for an activity. If that still fails and you don't feel like you received consent... I advise not engaging in that activity.
My friend Max doesn't human when he's Pupping. He uses his Pup Body Language & miming combined with Barks & Growls to communicate! This lick was consented to 😋
No, this doesn't mean you HAVE to speak human words while pupping... in fact, I know a few pups who don't "human" while they're pupping. A lot of consent can be communicated through body language. You can lean up against another pup, shoulder to shoulder, to indicate you want to wrestle. You can paw at them, indicating you might want to grapple them or otherwise place your paws on them. You can make questioning pup noises... like an Arou? with an upward inflection indicating a question...
If you use your Pup Body Language to indicate something... another pup will often either reciprocate the gesture (indicating an interest in the activity) or they'll not reciprocate it and I would take that to either be a misunderstanding or a lack of consent... basically, it's a NO unless you've received an indication of the opposite.
You can also mime actions to others... you can mime drinking a glass of water or eating a treat to a handler who might be able to then bring you some water or treats. You can mime wrestling or other activities to other Pups to ask permission to engage in that activity with them.
All in all... the main thing to remember is that we're all Human Puppies, and we're all at the mosh to have fun. If you feel like you want to join in, then get down on the mats and join the others! They're just like you... they're human puppies too!
Toys can also be instrumental at a Mosh. Sharing toys with other Pups is a great way to break the ice and get some fun play time started! I personally LOVE balls, bones & squeaker toys of all shapes & sizes... sharing those with other pups in games of keep-away, pass the toy & piling toys on another puppy are super fun games to play... and have helped to break the ice for other mosh activities like wrestling.
Generally speaking as well, you want to avoid certain things at a mosh. You don't want any hard or sharp clothing/accessories... soft knee pads & gloves & no hard-soled boots or spiky collars... if you have a heavy lock on your collar make sure to contain it during the mosh; or if it's allowed, please ask your handler/alpha/master/etc to remove it during the mosh. This isn't about un-collaring someone; but it is about safety to everyone on the mats. Hard, sharp & heavy objects like those can cause injuries that can easily be avoided... so plan your moshing gear appropriately.
As always, don't forget Aftercare! Make sure to stay hydrated, and to get snacks as needed. Ask for help if you need it... the last thing anyone wants at a mosh is injuries or bad experiences.
Human Puppy - it's for EVERYONE!
Well, that brings us to the end of this blog! Thank you for sticking around through all of that... and I hope that if you're new to Pupping that you're feeling a bit more confident and ready to set off and explore your Pup Journey! If you're not a newcomer, I hope you got something useful out of this blog.
One last thought I want to leave everyone with is that being a Human Puppy is for EVERYONE! It doesn't matter your gender expression or identity, age, weight, nationality or any other descriptor. Anyone who wants to be a Human Puppy can be a Human Puppy, it really is that simple! There's no right or wrong way to be a Puppy, and don't let anyone else out there tell you different! So practice that posture, wag that tail and make whatever noise suits you best!
Puppies at Seattle Pride 2018! From Left: Gadget, Farrstrider, Tease, Blitz, Clever & Pixel
Awrufff wrufff wrufff! *wags*
Thanks for reading along. Please remember to help support what I do here (and everywhere else I put content)... it's super easy to do, just shop with my affiliates using my links! When you click my link and then make a purchase, I earn a commission as the salesman for referring you to them.
Fort Troff: http://www.forttroff.com?tap_a=5309-626e47&tap_s=171753-74c0aa
Mr-S-Leather: https://www.mr-s-leather.com/?acc=farrstrider
Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2tE6Y3
