This new British documentary follows 'pup players', men who live as dogs by Rob Moran - 26/05/16, 10:28 AM

'Pup play': the fetish scene is the focus of a new British Channel 4 documentary. Photo: Channel 4

I was gonna say, "So here's the oddest thing you'll see today...", but I don't know your life, so let's just dive in, okay?

That wonderful picture up there, that's part of a fetish scene called 'pup play', that sees grown men dress up like dogs, bark, pretend pee on sidewalks, chew on rubber toys, and go wacko for Schmackos (I assume). I'm not sure if they'd fetch your slippers for you, but you could always ask.

It's the subject of a new Channel 4 documentary in Britain, titled Secret Life Of The Human Pups, which The Guardian describes as a "sympathetic look" at the movement, which "grew out of the BDSM community and has exploded in the last 15 years".


According to the pup-playing subjects of the doco - awesomely named Spot, Bootbrush, Kaz, and, uh, David - it's not necessarily a sexual thing but more a way of finding their identity. The scene's largely made up of gay men with a love of latex, who are in relationships with their 'handlers', The Guardian notes.

"It's pre-rational, pre-conscious. It's an instinctive, emotional space. But within every puppy is a person," David told The Guardian. "This is part of my identity, but it's only part. I'm also a vegetarian, play the piano; I have a parrot. I was planting tomatoes on my allotment this morning. I can go months without going into pup space."

"Puppy play is exactly that - play," David added, noting that part of the appeal is also the pure escapism. "There is an immense amount of pleasure from gambolling around in a club playing with squeaky toys because you're making people laugh, you're being a cute little puppy. The gay scene can be very serious, scary and offputting. But if you're going in with a little puppy hood, ears and a tongue, you look cute. You're allowed to bound around and be enthusiastic, mischievous and friendly."

Tom, another puppy featured in the documentary, also discussed the lifestyle in a guest spot on UK breakfast show, This Morning. His breakfast was a dog cookie, but he also eats "chicken tikka masala".

The doco airs overnight in the UK.