Pup play is a role-playing game in which humans adopt canine characteristics and behaviours: wearing dog masks, barking, crawling on all fours, drinking from a bowl, play-fighting with other pups and engaging in other dog-like activities.
While still a niche subculture, its visibility is growing, particularly among gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (GBTQ) men. Pup play has its roots in BDSM (bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadomasochism) and particularly the leather community, but it is more a social and community-building activity than a sexual practice.
Olivier Ferlatte, a professor in the School of Public Health at Université de Montréal and a mental health researcher specializing in LGBTQ+ communities, and his colleague Phillip Joy from Mount Saint Vincent University looked at the benefits of pup play for the body image of its practitioners.
Dispelling the stigma
In their study, the research team investigated the relationship between pup identity and body image by asking 17 GBTQ men from the pup community to submit cellphone videos. The cellphilms (available online) were then shown to a variety of audiences, including members of the pup community, to spark conversations about issues related to body image and mental health.
"We took this more art-based approach to let the subjects share their reality, as this is a community that is often misunderstood and faces prejudice." said Ferlatte. "Participants were able to express their experiences, beliefs and motivations for getting involved in the community."
According to Ferlatte, the videos show that pup play can be sexual for some, social for others, or a mix of the two. Pups come together to play and bond. Participants reported feeling less social pressure as pups and more comfortable in their bodies.
"It creates a kind of playful space where people can connect with others in a different way, without judgment, while also transforming their relationship to their own bodies," Ferlatte added.
Breaking free of social norms
"In the gay community, there is a male culture that perpetuates prevailing standards of beauty, such as muscularity, leaving many people feeling excluded," Ferlatte commented.
According to participants' accounts, the leather outfits associated with pup play made them feel more desirable and allowed them to transcend their physical form.
"I think it's important for people to come together and redefine themselves, rediscover themselves, and embrace new aspects of their bodies, their beauty, their personalities," Ferlatte said.
Fun and liberating
Pup play is a way for enthusiasts to distance themselves from dominant cultural norms. At the same time, the masks and canine personas they adopt are part of a process of self-exploration.
"Choosing a mask and a pup name isn't just for fun," said Ferlatte. "It's an important step in constructing a new aspect of identity."
This transformation lets participants free themselves and temporarily forget the constraints and anxieties of human identity.
"Like any role play or cosplay, it's a way to step out of daily life and its challenges by taking on a new identity, a new personality that is often a reflection of oneself."
At its core, pup play is an invitation to let go and enjoy the freedom of play-whether it's fetch or submission and domination.
About this study
''Beyond barks and bodies: Pup play and body image in gay, bi, trans, and queer men through a Deleuzian lens'' by Olivier Ferlatte and his colleagues was published in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.
