Gay petplay

By Emen8, updated 1 year ago in Lifestyle / LGBT people and culture

Got an itch that needs a good belly rub?

Puppy play has become increasingly popular, especially among gay and bi+ guys. If you want to see the spicy/sexual side of things, look around on X/Twitter, and the ‘spicy’ section on our site.

We spoke with a local pup and handler to get the inside scoop on this expansive community.

What is puppy play?

Puppy play is a type of role play that emulates canine behaviour, sometimes in a group with other ‘pups’. The roots of this acceptance run deep, reflecting the LGBTQ+ community’s history of creating nurturing environments where authenticity is celebrated.

Unveiling the Pup Play Paradox: Why Men Dominate the Scene

Now, let’s embark on a journey through the intriguing paradox of the pup play community.

However, like many forms of role-play, it can have a sexual component depending on the participants’ preferences. Some meetups or events may be sexual, this will be stated and usually take place at someone’s house or a special venue. We trust you not to take advantage of this resource.

A

• A-PAH, Arizona, USA
• A-PAT, Queensland, Australia
• ABQ-PAH, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
• AKA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• AK-PAH, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A
• ARK-PAH, Arkansas, U.S.A
• ATL-PAH, Atlanta, U.S.A
• AUS-PAH, Austin, Texas, U.S.A
  • Austin Pets and Handlers Group – Founded: Unknown

B

• Badger-PAH, Wisconsin, USA
• Bayou City Pups, Houston TX, USA
• BEKK, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• BOI-PAH, Boise, Idaho, USA
• BUF-PAH, Buffalo, New York, USA

C

D

E

I

K

L

M

• MAR-PAH, Nova Scotia, Canada
• MCO-PAH, Orlando, USA
  • Orlando Pups and Handlers – Founded: Unknown
• Meet and Greet, Hamburg, Germany
• Michigan-PAH, Michigan, USA
• MiPP, Michigan, USA
• MAKK, Washington DC, USA
• MEM-PAH, USA
• MKE-PAH, Milwaukee, USA
• Monroe-PAH, Louisiana, USA
• Mr Puppy Europe, Europe
• Mr Puppy Nederland, Netherland, EU
  • Host of Netherland Puppy Contest – Founded: Unknown
• MV-PAH, Dayton, USA
• MVR-PAH, Oregon, USA
• MW-PAH, Midwest USA Region

N

• NASH-PAH, Nashville TN, USA
• NC-PAH, USA
• NE-PAH, Nebraska, USA
• NEPAH, UK
• NEU, USA
• NJ-PAH, New Jersey, USA
  • New Jersey pups and Handlers – Founded: Unknown
• NOLA-PAH, New Orleans, USA
  • New Orleans, Louisiana – Founded: Unknown
• NSKC,Minneapolis, MN,USA

O

P

• PIT-PAH , Pittsburgh, USA
• PITT-PAH
• PDX-PAH, Portland, USA
• PGH-PAH, Pittsburgh, USA
• Pup & Co, France
• Pup Munch, London, UK
• Puppy Play Belgium, Belgium
• PuppyPride, London, UK
• Pup Play Germany, Germany
• Pups of The North, Manchester, UK

Q

R

S

• SA-PAH, Adelaide, Australia
• SA Puppy, South Africa
• SAN-PAH, San-Francisco, USA
• SE-PAH, Southeast Region, USA
• SEA-PAH, Seattle, USA
• SF K-9 Unit, California, USA
• SLC-PAH, Utah, USA
• SJC-PAH
• SOC-PAH
• SFKC, Florida, USA
• STL-PAH, St Louis, Missouri, USA
• StLPP, St Louis, Missouri, USA
• SYD-PAH, Sydney, Australia

T

U

V

W

Y

Disclaimer

This is a compiled list of all known groups and organisations that are social support groups and/or organisations who promote pup play in a community setting.

For your first pup meet, it’s most likely going to be announced in the local Facebook/social group you join, and will have many other pups and handlers and people attend, and be like any other regular social event (with the added pups and gear and fun) – not sexual. Additionally, pup play’s physical and lively nature naturally resonates with activities traditionally associated with masculinity.

A Pawsitive Conclusion: Embrace Diversity, Embrace Pup Play!

As we wrap up this post remember this: pup play is a universe of boundless possibilities and boundless diversity.

The pup community is very welcoming (though different packs will have their own rules about membership) and there are pup-friendly spaces for people of all genders, sexualities and walks of life.

If you’re interested in puppy play in your area, there are plenty of groups for connecting online. For example Pup Max or Pup Rex.

Yours can be like this or different.

Handlers

Handlers in the pup play community means the people who take care of pups, like a pet owner. The pup in the photo at the top of this page is wearing a custom petsuit, but it’s made to match his pup hood rather than look like the fur of a dog.

Pup Meet

A pup meet is a social meetup where members of the pup community come together, usually in person.

It’s different for everyone, but what brings everyone together is their love to enjoy acting like a pup, or looking after a pup (more on that below).

What is a pup, what is a handler, and other common terms used in the community:

Pups

Pups are the people take on the role of ‘a pup/dog’, and therefore usually act like a puppy dog.

You can then attend a meet in person to meet others and experience the community in person, if you like (we recommend it)! It’s important to communicate your boundaries to everyone involved and make sure you respect theirs.

To help with physical safety and comfort when on all fours, Pup Jaxx suggests:

“While there’s no gear necessary to participate in pup play, if you are a pup…getting good quality mitts/pads will make sure you’re protecting your joints and preventing cuts and abrasions.”

Safety as a pup also includes taking charge of your sexual health.

Previous examples from earlier were Pup Max and Pup Rex.

For handlers, it’s the same too – usually Handler + your first real life name. And for those who are looking at the handler/owner role, or are unsure and just want to attend – you can wear other gear you might have or none at all.

5. Whether you’re looking for a way to unwind or a new social activity, pup play might be perfect for you.

I’m not much of a ‘mosh’ pup, but I love facilitating that and helping create a space for others to get into headspace and have fun.” ~ Pup Jaxx

Puppy play also emphasises relationships built on trust and loyalty and can sometimes lead to establishing a ‘found family’ in a pack.