Kink 101: Puppy Play

Puppy Play

March 6, 2025

Published by Bull Kaine on March 5, 2025

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What is Puppy Play?

Puppy play is a roleplay or gear kink in which people take on the role of “pups.” This is commonly associated with taking on the behavioral traits of dogs or even their physical traits with things like pup masks and tails. While the degree to which individuals identify as a ‘dog’ varies, the pup community generally revolves around adopting superficial dog-like personality traits and gear. The pup community is a bright and numerous part of the BDSM/kink community but is (comparatively) new to the scene in its current form.

Pups

A “pup” is anyone who identifies as part of the pup community. Typically (but not always), this is someone who engages in puppy play or owns puppy gear, such as hoods, masks, or tails. The community remains a tight-knit and well-respected part of the kink/BDSM scene.

Puppy Play

Pups often engage in puppy play, which usually differs from other kinks where someone wants to fully become an animal. Instead, it typically focuses on adopting a human persona with dog-like traits. However, for some, puppy play leans into the aspect of fully embracing a dog-like existence. The degree to which someone identifies with being a dog varies, some embrace more dog-like behaviors, while others simply enjoy the playful, primal, animal-like, or communal aspects. Some pups even identify with a specific breed. Puppy play can include leashes, barking, packs, puppy play pens (moshes), pup hoods, pup headspace, playing fetch, and other activities, gear, or toys that help someone take on the role of a pup.

Pup Masks

Many puppies have pup “masks” or “hoods” made of neoprene, leather, or other materials. Pups commonly wear hoods as a piece of gear to express their identity within the pup community. While not every pup wears a hood, many use them to feel more immersed in their role, and they often help trigger their puppy headspace (pupspace). These masks frequently serve as a signal of community affiliation, and many pups keep them on their belt even when they don’t plan to wear them. Hoods can be highly personalized and come in a variety of colors and styles, with many pups sticking to a signature color scheme that represents their pup persona.

Pup masks come in a variety of styles and colors, and many pups tend to personalize them as a sense of identity

Critter Play

As a special aside, “critter play” is the general name for the umbrella puppy play falls under. In the same way there can be pups, there can also be a menagerie of other animals people attempt to create their own humanized versions of to step into (called critters). In general, critter play differentiates itself from other forms of play where one wants to be an animal, with most of its members wanting to act like humans with animal traits. As with pups, the extent of this varies from person to person. But critter play is notable as the broader community puppy play is a part of.

Handlers

Many in the pup community are not pups themselves but are the dominant of (or in some other way associated with) other pups. These individuals are often called “handlers” or some variation thereof (like trainer) to denote their place as someone who is a dog handler.

Common Puppy Play Activities and Gear

Puppy play can incorporate a wide range of activities and gear since it often overlaps with other types of submission or kinks. Below are some of the kinds of play most associated with puppy play:

Leashes: Many pups will be led around on a leash by a handler or some other pup (likely an alpha of theirs).
Moshes: Sometimes, events are hosted called “puppy moshes,” in which many pups get together, usually on foam padding with multiple dog toys or similar, and let their inner pup out—often play-fighting, throwing toys at each other, and generally rolling around.
Show tails: Many people have the misconception that any pup tail attached to the back for a pup has to be… inside. While these do exist, they aren’t practical for extended wear. Instead, many pups use a ‘show tail’—a silicone tail attached to a belt for comfort and visibility.
Balls and bones: Lots of pups will have their handler or other pups give them plastic bones or balls to throw and play fetch with.
Awoo: There is an extremely high likelihood that if you are in the vicinity of more than five pups, howling or making an awoo noise will result in most of them in the venue following suit

Our Kink 101 Series is proudly brought to you as a continuous part of the Discipline Team’s efforts to bring education and visibility to aspects of the kink and BDSM community. This series of articles is meant to be quick fact sheets written from the view of someone in the BDSM community. They do not include every detail and nuance of a kink or their written subject and are meant to be taken as an introductory fact sheet someone can quickly read to reference or as a beginner’s jumping-off point for further research.

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Puppy Play

Puppy Play

Bull Kaine

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