“Most people think you just get on all fours and waddle around and going ‘woof, woof!’ and ‘bark bark!’ but really it’s so much more complicated."
Jyan is a ‘pup boss’, running one of the world’s only human pup training courses. Communities of human pups meet in each state across Australia, learning to move and behave like dogs. There are estimated to be at least 10,000 human pups across Europe, Asia and the USA.
A doctor in his professional life, Jyan’s involvement with the pup community serves as a form of escapism.
“Life as a GP is really, really busy. It's tiring, it's exhausting. And so having the outlet of pup play gives me recreation.”
“I think that we all have animalistic passions. I'm just acknowledging them. As humans, we are sexual animals and my animal just happens to be a bit more German shepherd.”
Growing out of the BDSM subculture, the practice isn’t exclusively sexual.
“For some people there's sexy time involved, but that's not the essence of it,” said G-Pup, the group’s alpha.
Griff, who has been involved with the group for about two years, agrees. “I didn't go into human pup play for the sex part of it myself, I don't think I have had sex with anyone in pup gear,” he told The Feed.
Jyan's training cage. Source: The Feed
Griff’s was motivated by social anxiety, so wearing the pup hood is ‘freeing’.
“I can interact with people and not be so concerned as to what they're thinking of me,” he said.
By day, Griff is Alan, a public sector worker in customer service. His work follows his other passion; trains and railway.
“I’m the sort of person that’s a bit of a train nerd,” he admits. “I’d like to drive trains.”
Alan keeps his pup lifestyle from his family and friends. ‘Not too many people know,” he said. “I don’t think my family know.
Secca (not his real name) is completely closeted.
“It's a big step for me to talk about this. I had to hide it away for many years. I felt pain. I felt I wasn't being true to myself.”
He was drawn to pup play by the anonymity and feeling of confidence.
“Having a hood on I get to go to my Seeca persona where I have no human inhibitions, I have no human thoughts. It sets me free. It's who I feel more comfortable being.”
“It gives me more confidence like I am 10ft tall and bulletproof.”
