The Happy Pup

Today Bolt and I talk about how it’s important to get the most out of your human pup play you need to consider an earnest approach to human pup training. Just like a sport, training, in particular puppy training, will help you get the most out of your human pup experience and pup space.

There is more to human pup play than putting a collar on.

Today I want to share how the key to human pup play is not held within the body, but you can gain access to “pup zone” with practice and acquiring the skills of human dog play.

Human pup postures are some of the first trainings you will get as a Sirius Pup.

• Present,
• Kneel
• All Fours

These pup postures can be used to control the experience a human pup has. Hood also change the way a pup experiences their environment. Human Pup Hoods are a training tool by changing vision, hearing helping centre a pup in “the now”.

Would you like to learn more about human pup training? Be sure to check out these posts @ Sirius Pup Australia:

• What Is Human Pup Training?
• Master Learning
• Fostering Love Of Learning
• Giving Positive Feedback
• Listening To You
• Handling Conflict
• What Is An Alpha?
• Why Pup Training?
• Resisting Pupspace
• Meeting A New Pup
• Relaxing

Happy training pups.

Hugs and tugs, Gpup Alpha

Full Human Pup Training Transcript Here:

Pup Bolt: Being a handler is a lot like owning a dog, a bio dog, a biological dog. I don’t think we’ve explained that much in this channel before, but a bio dog versus a human dog is completely different.

Gpup Alpha: Absolutely, and you can lock up a bio dog in the back yard, and people don’t get too upset, but if you leave your human pup in the back yard.

Pup Bolt: Yeah, they wouldn’t be happy about that, I don’t think.

Gpup Alpha: Bio pups, they’re a lot more harder. They’re hard work.

Pup Bolt: They’re work.

Gpup Alpha: You’ve really got put, which is why when it comes to human pup play, it’s important that you are willing to put in the same level of work.

Pup Bolt: Yes.

Gpup Alpha: Because some people, they think, I put a collar on. I’m an human pup.

Pup Bolt: It’s not exactly the same.

Gpup Alpha: There’s more to it. There’s more to it than just putting a collar on. There’s actually stuff to learn. At Serious Pup, that’s one of the things that we’re really big on.

Pup Bolt: Oh a plug. What is that a shirt from SeriousPup.com?

Gpup Alpha: No, SiriusPup.net

Pup Bolt: My bad.

Gpup Alpha: There’s skills to be learned. There’s skills to be learned, because one of the things that I’ve heard a lot, and that I don’t necessarily agree with, is that pup play in innate. It’s inside me, and I’m just releasing it, right? I will tell you now that I do not share any DNA with a dog. None at all.

Pup Bolt: Don’t think so.

Gpup Alpha: No, but to be able to enjoy the puppy experience and the Nivana of the puppy experience, as everybody calls, is the pup space, is actually a process of work by you practice something. Are you a sporty person?

Pup Bolt: I play rugby.

Gpup Alpha: You play rugby. Have you every played a game of rugby where it’s almost like the whole thing was in slow motion, because you were doing the actions, you never thought about it.

Pup Bolt: Oh yes, I know exactly what I’m doing. Once you learn the rules, you know exactly how it works, and you just flow with it.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, so it’s that flow peak experience. When you learn the skills of human pup play, you can have the same flow peak experience, which in many ways, is what the head space is about. It’s about not having to think. It’s about being able to release what are the tensions of they day.

Pup Bolt: That’s cool. Yeah, exactly.

Gpup Alpha: To get to that you have to know the skills, and so it’s important to learn some.

Pup Bolt: Important, you heard it here.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, but even simple things like knowing the positions. Do you guys teach the positions here?

Pup Bolt: No.

Gpup Alpha: You’ve got the first three positions that you get taught with us is that you have to be able to present a kneel and an all fours. Present is when you’re kneeling with your paws on your knees, and then you slide your paws forward, and that’s a kneel. When you’re on all four positions, then that’s an all fours. Originally, when I learned that stuff, I was like, “Oh, why do I need to know this? This just seems really silly,” but if you put a pup into a present position, their head is up, and they can actually look around the room, and they can see stuff. Whereas if you put somebody in an all fours, because of the nature of the neck, they can only see down.

Pup Bolt: They look at the ground.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, so if you’re a handler, and you don’t want your pup seeing what you’re doing, you put them in an all fours. Put them in an all fours, and then they can’t actually see what’s going on, so you can control the environment.

Pup Bolt: This is good.

Gpup Alpha: If you want the pup to be alert, to be able to look you in the face, and to be able to see what you’re doing, you put them in a present, because then the heads right up, and they can move their head around. Do you know what I mean?

Pup Bolt: Yeah, I see exactly what you mean, this is training.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, absolutely.

Pup Bolt: Training 101 for a pup handler.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, and there’s other things. People talk about hoods, and they say the hood is an expression of the pup’s self, and it is, but pup hoods also help create the head space. When it covers your ears, you lose auditory import.

Pup Bolt: A good portion of it, yeah.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, so you can’t hear as much. You also lose a lot of you peripheral vision, because of the nature of the eyes, so that narrows in the field of vision, so it really forces you to concentrate on whatever’s in front of you, and that’s the same as being concentrated on the now. As a training tool, a hood isn’t just about looking pretty. It actually puts you closer into the head space, as well.

Pup Bolt: That’s so cool. Look at you learning.

Gpup Alpha: For me, people say, you don’t have to have gear, you can be a … What did they call it? They said a flesh pup. You can be a flesh pup. You don’t need gear. I think when you’re first starting pup play, don’t go and spend $2,000 on gear.

Pup Bolt: That’s expensive.

Gpup Alpha: It is, and the gear’s not cheap. You want to choose good gear, don’t buy cheap shit off eBay, because it’s cheap stuff off eBay. Seriously, buy the proper stuff ,because it’s going to last.

Pup Bolt: Yeah, improper padding for your knees is the worst ever.

Gpup Alpha: Yes, and I always say the first things you should be buying is knee pads, and wrist guards.

Pup Bolt: Oh yeah, 100%. The first time I went to a march, all I wore was wraps. Worst idea ever.

Gpup Alpha: Padding is good.

Pup Bolt: Yeah, padding is good.

Gpup Alpha: Especially in the knees. From a biological perspective, unless you’re a baby, your body is not used to having gravity go through the knees, the same way that when you’re in an all fours position. I’ve got a couple of physiotherapist mates that are teaching me how to move fast in an all fours position, which is really …

Pup Bolt: That’s so good.

Gpup Alpha: It’s more tricky that you think. There’s a lot of kinesthetics involved with that.

Pup Bolt: Lots of hip movement.

Gpup Alpha: It’s like a Pilates class. As a side tip, if you want to have a really good sex life, I highly recommend Pilates, really recommend Pilates.

Pup Bolt: Cool tips with the Gpup Alpha.

Gpup Alpha: Keep them little. I’m all you know.

Pup Bolt: I’m all you know. Yes.

Gpup Alpha: Absolutely, Pilates for pups. Wasn’t there somebody who did a Yoga class for pups?

Pup Bolt: Yes, it was last year, for sure. Actually in foursome, and I think I remember hearing 9 o’clock.

Gpup Alpha: Okay, that’s great.

Pup Bolt: There’s Yoga classes for pups too.

Gpup Alpha: A tip for handlers, you might want to attend that. If you attend that, you might know which pups are more flexible. The more you know.

Pup Bolt: Hey.

Pup Beacon and his pup, Pup Cerberus

Today I want to introduce the wonderfully open and welcoming Pup Beacon. A human pup I had the chance to meet in LA.

He was kind enough to share not one experience but two. Firstly is his experience in human pup play and secondly his own personal experience in being a PrEP educator and advocate in his local community.

Pup Beacon On His Human Pup Experience

https://youtu.be/ZPr9Q96baTs

You can check out The Mutt Pack LA Here.

Pup Beacon Talks PrEP

You can learn more about PrEP in this post @ The Pup Safe Project. PrEP For HIV Prevention

Full Interview Transcript:

Gpup: Could you introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from.

Beacon: Sure. “Herro”. My name if Pup Beacon. I live in LA. Long Beach specifically. I am originally from Northern California but I’ve been living down here for about 10 years.

Gpup: Okay. You identify as a human pup.

Beacon: Yup.

Gpup: How did you become introduced to the pup community?

Beacon: I discovered many things through erotic fiction. I was a very sheltered little boy growing up and didn’t find visual photo or video porn. I discovered erotica first which is quite fun. If anyone hasn’t explored it yet, you really should. I discovered erotic fiction and with it there are a lot of just regular sex erotica but there’s also Kink erotica. One of the first things that I discovered … I may have discovered other things before this but this one particular stands out just because it was written by someone I’m friends with now and he was a prominent members in the LA pup community. It was a particular erotic fiction about someone transforming from a human into a puppy and specifically with a lot of hypnosis, mind control, other fun Kinky elements. There’s probable leather, rubber or something else involved. Maybe water sports or … Yeah. I can’t recall off the top of my head. Anyways, when I was a teenager in high school, that was when I first discovered it. It took me a few year to actually get involved with pup play until after I came out. When I first wanted to seriously get involved, I was in a relationship at the time with a guy who was very vanilla.

I tried talking to him about pup play and he was simply grossed out which I’m finding is actually a reaction that a lot of pups have had when they’ve tried to tell a significant other about pup play which I don’t understand that. Having gone through it I kind of understand where they’re coming from. I had that reaction. Thankfully it didn’t deter me from exploring it further but once we broke up ironically not soon after we had our conversation, once we broke up it was like, “Okay. Game on. This is happening. I’m going to exploring pup play and any other number of other things that I explored.”

Gpup: Excellent. What are 3 things that drive your passion to human pup play?

Beacon: Interesting. The main thing that I enjoy about pup play is just that it’s … To me, it’s just very joyful and very happy, right? Whenever I’m pupping out or I see other people pupping out or I’m handling other pups, there’s just so much joy, so much warmth and it’s just such a positive environment. That’s one of the things I absolutely love about it. It’s a good way to center one’s self and kind of focus on the present, focus on the now as opposed to everything else that’s going to on in someone’s life, work, school, family, friends, whatever. Just to be able to focus on that super delicious squeaky toy that’s right in front of you that you just want to chew on forever. It’s so awesome. It’s just such a great release and it’s wonderful and also pups are just really, really fucking hot. If there’s pup butts in the air, then it’s a good time.

Gpup: You’d be out sniffing.

Beacon: Yeah. Sniffing. Biting. Licking. Whatever. Humping. It happens.

Gpup: It does. I’ve been to dog parks. I’ve seen this happen.

Beacon: Yes. It happens for the bio dogs. Why can’t we do it?

Gpup: We do.

Beacon: Exactly. It’s great.

Gpup: Do you have any particular breed identity?

Beacon: No. Whenever I see like on Puppy 101 on Facebook or whenever anyone’s asking about breed or identity, that’s not something that I’ve really spend a lot of time thinking about. Yeah. I just identify as Pup Beacon. That’s it. Yeah.

Gpup: How would you describe Pup Beacon being different to your normal persona?

Beacon: I’m starting to see them kind of merge a little bit. Whenever I’m pupping out which admittedly it’s been a little while since I’ve done for various reasons but I’m very … I get cuddly. I like to cuddle up and wrestle around and look after especially the smaller or the younger pups. That’s something that I do in my normal life. I try to look after younger pups or at least anyone that’s kind of coming up in the Kink world. If I’m able to latch onto someone and just make sure that they’re doing okay, if they’re feeling okay, I’m very cuddly when it comes to anyone that I meet. If there’s an opportunity for cuddles, I’m not going to turn them down.

Gpup: Do you identify with the more alpha role?

Beacon: Really. Yeah. I was in a leather family for a couple of years and since being on my own, I’ve been exploring like my dog side and my alpha side a little bit more. I haven’t really pupped out in awhile but whenever I go to pup moshes, I’m typically just looking out for all the pups. Giving a lot of scratches and back rubs and making sure that the other pups are getting enough to drink and resting and that sort of thing which is kind of like a handler often type role.

Gpup: For some people human pup play is almost a transitory event. They may be introduced to Kink through pup play and then they may take on other roles. You mentioned that you’re exploring your dom side. Do you still have the same connection with the pup stuff as well?

Beacon: In general yeah. Right now, I’ve been training a puppy. Definitely doing pup stuff with them. We do other Kink stuff. Last weekend we were out a couple of workshops doing CBT and nipple play but before that, we were at the off sunset festival back in April. Yeah. I guess it was April. They had a pup mosh. My puppy moshed out and I was taking care of him and making sure that he was okay. Pup play is very much still a part of my identity and something that is an interest of me as a dog as well.

Gpup: Fantastic. What would recommend to anybody that was interested in pup play but unsure where to start?

Beacon: The first place that I start apart from all the erotica that I read was just finding people online that were experienced in pup play. The first doms that I played with I found off of RECON or FetLife. It’s really easy on those websites to kind of list the interests of the individuals. If you go on someone’s profile and they say that they’re into pup play and they have pictures on their profile of either being a pup and pupping out or handling other pups, it’s like, “Okay. That guy is in a pup play.” That’s kind of a good place to start and ask them questions and see if you can have that experience with them. That’s a good way to start. I want to give a shout out to our LA puppy, Pup Zero. He is absolutely one of my favorite puppies especially in LA. I don’t know as many puppies outside of that but he’s definitely one of my favorite puppies. He’s adorable. He’s very sweet. He is a good person especially for anyone that lives in LA to talk to, to ask questions about how to get into pup play and everything.

Gpup: Does the LA pup scene have like a Facebook page or a website?

Beacon: We do. It’s Mutt Pack LA is our Facebook page. That’s for primarily those of us that live in LA but there’s also a lot of other like in San Diego or Northern California that kind of stretches the boundaries of who’s on in the group.

Gpup: What’s the pup scene like here in LA?

Beacon: It’s been growing over the past couple of years. My former pup Ruther who I’m so very close to, when I first got into that leather family, there were very few of us that were out moshing about. at least that we’re out moshing in public. There were more that weren’t necessarily out in public but those of us that were moshing … You go to a mosh a handful of years ago, there’s only a handful or 2 puppies running around. Fewer than ten. What have you. Our LA Leather Week that culminate with Off Sunset which I referenced earlier, we had a puppy mosh, a puppy event leading up to LA Leather Pride. The entire bar was just packed full of puppies which was amazing. A lot of little pup butts running around. It was adorable. The pup scene has definitely exploded like crazy in the past couple of years. It’s really nice to have a bar like the Bullet to kind of be the home of the pups. They have more or less a permanent mosh space for us at the bar. It’s really nice to have that support from the community.

Gpup: It sounds like the other Kink community so the leather community they’re open to the entrance of the pups.

Beacon: Yeah. Absolutely. We have had a lot of … There’s a group called Avatar in LA that does a lot of workshops and demos about Kink and they’ve had some pups do some pup play demos for the group. When you have groups like that have been around for an awful long time that are supporting pup play, it says a lot.

Gpup: Do you think there are any frustrations within the pup community currently?

Beacon: I don’t know. I don’t know if I necessarily insight into that particular question. Yeah. Personally I don’t really have a lot of frustration. I really, really love observing all the new puppies that are coming onto the scene and seen how they’re expressing their pup side. In a way it’s a little bit different. Like you said earlier that a lot of pups are exploring Kink first from pup play. For myself, I explored a lot of other Kinks before I started doing pup play. It’s interesting when you have 2 different people entering the same zone but from different entrances. They bring different things to the table and then they learn different things along the way. It’s really interesting to watch those pups and see how they evolve and how they grow and what their journey is. It’s different from my journey and obviously everyone’s journey is different. It’s really interesting to see how different their journey is. If there’s any opportunity where I can give cuddle, scratches or advice to answer questions whatever, then I absolutely enjoy it.

Gpup: Cool. Where do you see human pup play in the next 5 to 10 years?

Beacon: Good Lord. I think it’s definitely going to continue to grow and at some point it’s going to become static in my personal opinion just because anytime that you’ve something that becomes so popular, there’s going to be a lot of interest. There’s going to be a lot of interest from people who just want to see what’s going on, right? If there’s a big crowd, people want to go see what’s going on over there. I think there’s going to be a lot of people that are just going to be interested in it because it’s interesting and because a lot of people are interested in it right now. I think that at some point in time we’ll have people that decide, “You know, it’s not for me. I support it but it’s just not for me.” I think that that’s going to happen at some point where the … Not necessarily the excitement but it’s a very specific time in the Kink community and pup play is the thing right now. I’m not sure necessarily what the next thing will be but I think that it will very much be a very passionate group of people that are into pup play which is great.

I think at some point in time if people are going to be so familiar with it, then you don’t really have to look at what’s going on over there in the crowd just because everyone knows about it which is a good thing.

Gpup: I look forward to seeing what it’s going to be like in the next few years. It sounds like you will still be there whether you’re …

Beacon: I sure hope so.

Gpup: When you’re hogging the leash or on the mats.

Beacon: Both.

Gpup: Absolutely.

Beacon: Yeah.

Gpup: If somebody wanted to contact you, have a chat about pup play, what’s the easiest way for them to contact you?

Beacon: My name is Pup Beacon on Facebook, RECON, FetLife. That’s the easiest way to do it.

Gpup: You must have gone in early to be able to claim all of those.

Beacon: I guess so. I kind of survived the Facebook purge. I hope no one from Facebook is watching this video but I know that a lot of pup profiles got deleted. I think during that whole purge process my profile was inactive and so kind of slipped up under the radar.

Gpup: Very good.

Beacon: Yeah.

Gpup: I really appreciate you taking the time to catch up and to share your thoughts. Thank you very much.

Beacon: You’re welcome.

Laird Leather Man Stephen Morgan Interviewed Part 2

Following up part one, please enjoy part two of my interview with Melbourne’s IML contestant Stephen Morgan.

Covered in this section:

• Preparation for IML
• “Pecs and Personality”
• The Interview 
• Stephen’s feeling of the group dynamic in this years IML Class…

First Part Of Stephen’s Interview here:

Mr Laird Leather Man Interviewed

Part 3 of Stephen’s Interview.

Hugs and tugs

Gpup Alpha

Full transcript of interview with Stephen Morgan here:

Gpup: You won, and you had a very busy year in preparation but, how did you prepare for IML? Because this is it. This is the show, right?

Stephen: Yeah. You can’t prepare for IML. There’s no swat book that you can go through and get up to date and have yourself ready for the contest in 6 weeks. Preparing for IML is something that starts, 5, 10, 15 years beforehand. It’s about developing yourself to the point where you know who you are, you know what you represent, you know what you want. The actual preparation for IML is pretty basic in terms of making sure you’ve got your kit up to date, and that it’s looking as best as it can, and preparing a speech. They’re basically the two things that you can do for IML. All the rest of the worry, the concerns, the anxiety, I found to be completely unfounded.

Gpup: Because, say for example here in Melbourne you’ve had Ben, Luke, probably our two most recent-

Stephen: Mal is another one.

Gpup: Did they give you information about what it was going to be like?

Stephen: They did, but they also knew that they can’t prejudge what you’re going to experience. They can give you some very practical advice, like, make sure you’ve got a lot of food, because you’re going to be waiting around and you’re not going to have access to it, so take it with you. Some very practical guidelines. I wanted to get an idea of the level of working knowledge of the history of IML that I would’ve needed beforehand, and they said, “We can’t really tell you that because we don’t know what you’re going to get asked.” Each judging panel is different from year to year, so there’s no … and it’d be really unfair for one of them to say, “This is what you’re going to happen. Focus your attention here,” and then have a completely different experience. The best advice, and again, this came from Race Bannon, was go out, be yourself, and have fun. Don’t take it overly seriously.

Gpup: IML’s going to be a very, it’s a very American event. Every state, or close to every state, is represented there and then there’s foreigners like there was you, and there was Tim from Sydney, and our colleague from Brisbane. In part of being at IML, did you offer a purely Australian perspective, or did you have to take on some of the American stuff as well, to be able to get through the process?

Stephen: If I took on American perspective, the judges would’ve very quickly smelled out inauthenticity and bullshit, and they don’t want that. That’s not what they’re looking for. IML is someone to represent the leather community and someone to be the ambassador for IML. They don’t want someone that isn’t putting themselves forward, so there wasn’t an aspect of that. I was a little surprised at how much of the ceremony and tradition I got swept up in and really enjoyed. I guess there’s a slight difference between Australia and America in terms of that, but that’s not so much me taking an American thing as getting involved in what was in front at the time.

Gpup: Being participatory, and-

Stephen: Yeah.

Gpup: Because, let’s have a look. Let’s have a look. I was going through the IML website last night and what did you expect? Were there any stark contrasts between what you expected and what you experienced?

Stephen: I expected to be overwhelmed. I didn’t expect to be overwhelmed to the extent that I was. I knew it was going to be an intense and a very busy time. I was nicely surprised with how much camaraderie there was between the contestants. We’ve had some feedback that ours was a particularly good year, in respect of that, so that was something that … I walked into the orientation on the first day and had the, I guess that sense of unease when you walk into a room full of 59 people plus all the production staff that you don’t know well. It was very quick that I realized that everyone was there just to enjoy the time. There wasn’t one person there that I met that was rude or was … their ambition clouded how they dealt with other people.

Gpup: There was no hobbling of fellow contestants at all?

Stephen: No. I had heard stories of people stealing items of people’s outfits and things and there was none of that. There was none of that. It was insanely enjoyable.

Gpup: When you consider the huge effort that you would’ve gone through to get there, I’m really glad that you had a fantastic experience. If you were to pick three highlights of IML, what would those three be?

Stephen: One of the biggest highlights was just prior to leaving the host hotel, actually that whole hour or two before leaving the host hotel on the day of the final. That included some pretty powerful moments, bonding as a class with just the class. It was just the 59 of us. There’s no handlers present. It was just everyone talking. We had some people perform some music. We had some poetry. It was an insanely emotional and really bonding experience, again, I used that word. Followed that with the preparation that the production staff and the handlers gave us in … every one of us was shitting ourselves, effectively, by that stage because we’re about to go off and go on rehearsals for the final and they managed to change the feeling in the room from one of nervous anticipation to one of excitement. I don’t want to go into the details of how they did that, but it was really an emotional and moving experience.

Gpup: Is it similar to the documentary that was done on IML recently?

Stephen: Yes.

Gpup: Okay.

Stephen: I still say there was a private moment between our class.

Gpup: Absolutely, and I’ve seen some of the video footage. There was quite a very talented violin player.

Stephen: Yeah, Kippy, yeah.

Gpup: It was amazing. It’s really good to see such an unexpected, well, I don’t expect to hear a violin being played at a leather contest. Did you have to get up and say an Australian poem or something?

Stephen: No, I didn’t. There’s a lot of hugging. There’s a lot of just being with each other and having a really great time. At that point, the whole contest was forgotten. Another highlight for me, and I guess a bit of pride for me, was during the initial orientation, they’d invited some previous contestants to come speak to the class. Ben, who’s the previous title holder for my title, was asked to come and address the class, and he gave a really resounding speech on a topic that I guess no one was wanting to think about at that point, that was right at the beginning of the contest. He was talking about what it’s like not to make the top final 20, and how he actually found it a relief in not doing it rather than being upset about it. It was a moment of pride for me, to listen to him up on the stage addressing the class.

Gpup: That’s pretty cool.

Stephen: Because it was such an American focus, to get an Australian up there in that position was really great.

Gpup: Let’s talk about the actual process. Looking at the competition, so you’ve got the first part where you’ve got 60% of your initial marking is based on an interview, and 40% is based on, and I quote, “Pecs and personality.”

Stephen: Physique and stage presence.

Gpup: Physique and stage presence. I do apologize.

Stephen: Colloquially known as pecs and personality.

Gpup: What happens to people who don’t have pecs?

Stephen: The thing about the leatherman, or International Mr. Leather, is it’s not about body beautiful. It’s not about someone who is the most ripped, or has a six-pack, or has the best tan, or the biggest muscles. It’s more about someone who’s comfortable in their own skin, and comfortable putting themselves out there in their own skin. I think that comes across very quickly on stage. We had all shapes and sizes in our class, from bigger guys to skinny guys, we had trans man, we had some Ken dolls, we had some bodybuilders. Whatever your body type, it’s not so much that you’re fitting an ideal [inaudible 00:11:28] that you’re comfortable with yourself.

Gpup: That you’re fitting into your body.

Stephen: Yeah.

Gpup: It’s not an uncomfortable fit.

Stephen: Yeah.

Gpup: Okay. Because it’s an interesting sort of juxtaposition that a lot of people, they automatically go to, “Well IML is just a pageant.” What’s your impression of those people?

Stephen: I encourage them to have a bit of a deeper scratch around, and find out what IML’s about. In some ways it is a pageant, but it’s a lot more than a pageant. It follows a pageant process, but it is not a vacuous pageant that people often imply when they derisively describe it as such.

Gpup: I wonder, do people miss out on a lot of that essence if they’re not actually a competitor?

Stephen: Possibly, and IML’s not just about the contest. I think I read somewhere it was close to 19 or 20,000 people attended. Only about a quarter have an interest in the contest, so IML’s much bigger than just the contest.

Gpup: What are the other three quarters doing? Sex in the hotels?

Stephen: That’s the sex in the parties. Embracing the leather lifestyle.

Gpup: Okay, so it’s an opportunity, and this is what I saw at CLAW was that I was genuinely surprised at the amount of people who started talking about event drop after CLAW and I couldn’t quite get my head around it. I understand that I had a really great four days, and I was absolutely tired and I really needed some sleep, and that will put anybody into an emotional head space, but I wonder whether there’s a portion of people attending these events where this is it, this is their one opportunity of the year to live that life.

Stephen: There is that. I guess … event drop was very real to me. I tried to make some sort of sense of why it occurred. For me it was … competing at IML was an exhausting experience. We’re often … our call was at eleven o’clock in the morning and sometimes we weren’t finished until midnight. It’s intentionally an emotional experience. You’re depleting your dopamine, you’re depleting your serotonin. You get to a point where adrenaline is trying to compensate for all of that, and you get to the end, and the adrenaline stops, and all of a sudden all your other reserves for anything that’s going to make you feel good in terms of brain biochemistry is just nonexistent, and you fall in a heap. For me, that happened at the end of the Black and Blue Ball on the Monday night. It’s over, and it was a real … it was, here, here, here, here, bam. That lasted for a few days.

Gpup: Were there, pardon me, were there people that were able to offer you good support and suggestions to get you through that process?

Stephen: Yeah, and just having [Max 00:15:03] there was pretty important as well. That’s, yeah … It is a very real thing, and I think the more you build up your expectation or anticipation for something, the stronger the event drop is going to be afterwards.

Gpup: What was, because there’s a lot of mystery around the interview. What was the experience like?

Stephen: I was shitting myself before the interview. I guess anything where you don’t know what’s going to happen. I had heard that some of the judges can be deliberately belligerent, some could challenge you. It was a really great experience for me. All my previous conceptions of what I was about to experience flew out the door the second I walked into the judges’ room.

Gpup: Was it tea and biscuits, or???

Stephen: No it wasn’t quite tea and biscuits. I really admire the judges for going through that process to interview 59 people over two days is pretty challenging. The interviews were limited to eight minutes each, and you’re standing in front of a panel of judges which a lot of people would find intimidating at the best of times. You’re one person standing in a room. You’ve got nine sets of eyes on you, and they’re starting to ask you questions. The questions I got were fair, reasonable. The role of the interview is for them to get an idea of who you are and how you will respond in certain situations. I managed to get at least one question from every judge, and two questions from three of the judges. The more you can answer the questions succinctly, intelligently, the more of an opportunity the judges get to know you. If you get stuck on one particular point and keep talking and keep talking, you’re not going to be able to give a broader idea of who you are. Some of the questions were humorous.

Gpup: What would be an example of one of those?

Stephen: One of the judges said, “I’ve been to the Laird. The Laird is one of your sponsors. Tell me, where does the best sex happen in the Laird?”

Gpup: Hello, next to the bar.

Stephen: Which my response was, “Depending on the night, it can be anywhere, or everywhere.” I was made to feel at ease. Another question I got was on traditions. Another question I got was on, “How have you actively engaged the non-leather community with the leather community?” This is where I made the point before where I don’t think you could prepare for IML, but it comes back to having a good sense of yourself and knowledge of who you are, that you can use examples from your life to help illustrate those sorts of-

Gpup: Yeah, and if you’ve got a legacy of what you’ve been involved in and what you’ve been doing, then it’s very easy to be able to call back on that and go, “Well, I have done, blah blah blah blah blah.” If you’ve blown in from somewhere else and just happened to own some leather, it’s going to be fairly obvious.

Stephen: Yeah. The question that stumped me was, “You have an interest in aboriginal art and have supported the National Gallery’s indigenous collection in the past. How does the skills learned in that make you a good leatherman?” It’s something I attempted to answer and then said, “I’m sorry, but there’s not a great deal of correlation. These are different aspects of my life.”

Gpup: Not everything has to tie together, right?

Stephen: Yeah.

Gpup: As push came to shove, you ended out in the top 20. Were you expecting that?

Stephen: That was my goal. If I could make the top 20, I would’ve been happy with how my IML experience went. In making the top 20, the thing I’m happiest about was that I was announced first. That has nothing to do with the ranking.

Gpup: Did you shit your pants when you were called out first? Like, holy crap?

Stephen: What I don’t think I would’ve dealt with very well, was standing there as successive people were announced, wondering, “Am I going to do it? Am I going to do it? Am I going to do it?” That wouldn’t have been a very enjoyable experience for me. Those that were announced in the last few that I spoke to said they had already gone through these motions, “Oh I haven’t made it, blah blah blah.” That’s something I can thank the leather gods for for not being put through.

Gpup: Tim, from Sydney, was also in the top 20.

Stephen: Which is the best showing Australia’s had in years.

Gpup: Yeah, and with the Australians, were you best buddies, or was there a little bit of competitive spirit between the three of you?

Stephen: I think there was some friendly competitiveness, but at the same time, coming from a strong sense of, “We are Australia.”

Gpup: Yep, and we’re representing-

Stephen: I was going to break into song then but that would’ve been-

Gpup: Oh, no.

Stephen: That started at the opening ceremony when the three of us went on stage with the Australian flag. That was really …

Gpup: That was pretty cool because there was a good Australian contingency in the audience as well, so-

Stephen: Yes. We had great support from Australia there this year.

Gpup: I imagine that Australians tend to do okay in America, so you may have had support from other people as well?

Stephen: Yeah, I guess we … I think we’re a bit louder and brasher and less beholden to protocol, so we tend to be a little bit noisier than most and maybe get a little bit louder than some. That’s respected over there, I think.

Gpup: Yeah. I think it’s almost expected of Australians isn’t it? That we’re going to be a little bit brash and a bit out there.

Laird Leatherman Stephen Morgan

As part of a three part interview I’m proud to have had the opportunity to interview the 2015-16 Laird Leatherman Stephen Morgan.  Stephen had recently competed in IML, International Mr Leather, where he placed 9th. IML is annual event held in Chicago where it is considered the peak event for lovers of leather across the world.

Topics covered in part one:

• How Stephen was introduced to the leather community
• His passion for leather as a community as well as leather gear
• How being Laird Leather Man has lead towards a greater engagement with the wider community. Stephen shares his passions and desires to help reduce stigma and mystery around the leather men scene.
• The role of protocol and the unique contributions made by both the “old guard” and “new guard” members of our community

Laird Leatherman Stephen Morgan Speaks

Coming soon:

Laird Leatherman Stephen Morgan Interviewed Part 2 of 3

Laird Leatherman Stephen Morgan Interviewed Part 3 of 3

Gpup Alpha

Please Share 🙂 

Full Transcript Below:

Stephen:             My name’s Stephen Morgan. I’m the current Laird Leatherman. The title was held in August 2015. I’ve been in the leather community for a number of years. After winning my title last year, it’s really been wrapped up a little bit in terms of producing a lot more events and being a bit more visible on the leather scene than what I was previously.

Gpup:                   How did you get connected to the leather scene?

Stephen:             I was introduced, it was almost twenty years ago now, through a mentor that said, “I’m going along to this party. Would you like to come along? You might enjoy it.” I went along to that and thought, “Well, this is interesting.” This is a scene that I felt comfortable in. I was a student at the time, so I couldn’t really afford the expensive gear so I taught myself how to work leather and made my first harness.

Gpup:                   Oh, wow.

Stephen:             Which I actually managed to wear on the stage during the final of IML just a couple weeks ago.

Gpup:                   Really?

Stephen:             Yeah. I’ve been kicking around in the cupboard. Still in good condition, and I thought it’d be fitting to wear that.

Gpup:                   That’s fantastic.

Stephen:             Yeah. That developed into a going along to the parties, and through that developed into a more appreciation for the formal leather look and the wider leather community, not just the parties.

Gpup:                   Leather is a fairly broad church. Are there particular aspects of it that you have a higher interest in?

Stephen:             Never. I love being in a room full of men in formal leather. It’s just the sense of belonging and being … I find it really attractive.

Gpup:                   When you say formal leather, are you talking bluff?

Stephen:             No necessarily bluff, but rather than … I’d much rather be in a bar with guys that are fully clad in leather as opposed to being on a dance floor with a whole lot of guys in harnesses and jock straps.

Gpup:                   Okay.

Stephen:             It’s probably the bar scene that I find resonates more with me because of the communications that you can have with people in that environment.

Gpup:                   Okay. Some people see leather as, there’s the lifestyle aspects of it, and then there are people who fetishize the actual product, the leather, the fabric. Do you meet somewhere in the middle of that or … ?

Stephen:             Definitely somewhere in the middle in that respect. The lifestyle I’m attracted to because it’s really a sex positive lifestyle. People are not ashamed of their sexuality. They’re not ashamed in talking about their sexual fetishes. They’re a lot more open in discussing their sexuality as well. Then if you put on the fetish element of it, hearing someone move in full leather and the rubbing of the leather and the feel of it. When you have it on yourself, the warmth, you get a little bit sweaty in leather. It clings to you. It makes you feel a certain way.

Gpup:                   Okay. For many, many people, leather is a sensate experience, whether it be the sound, as you mentioned, or the feeling against your body. A lot of people there’s the smell as well. Does that extend beyond leather to you? Say, for example, rubber?

Stephen:             I don’t like rubber personally. There’s a slight irony here. I feel quite restricted when I’ve worn rubber. I’m fairly hairy as well. Usually there’s a lot of [inaudible 00:04:02] happening as it’s going on and off.

Gpup:                   Absolutely. There can be tears before bed time in non-chlorinated rubber. I would imagine over twenty years you’ve gathered a small collection of leather gear.

Stephen:             Yes.

Gpup:                   The formal leather is the particular key element that you really, really like?

Stephen:             Yeah. It’s what resonates with me most. My favorite piece of leather is a pair of boots that I’ve had for probably about ten, fifteen years. They were bought secondhand in a disposal store in Berlin. They’re full patrol boots, so without any zips or buckles. You’ve got to work to get them on, which is, I think, part of the appeal. I’ve put those on in that store and they fitted me like a glove. It was like someone had worn those boots in for me. They’re not pristine. They’re very well looked after. They’re very well kept, but every time I put them on it’s like, “Oh.” You know. For me, it’d be like putting on a mask. It’s like I’m putting on these boots encasing everything.

Gpup:                   You’ve been in the leather scene for twenty years here in Melbourne. Why did you compete in the Laird Leatherman competition?

Stephen:             I got to a point where I wanted to give back. The reality is I’ve been through some tough times in the previous four or five years. Initially, part of my way of dealing with that was turning my back on the leather scene. It was actually my mates in the leather community that helped me get through those times. I think I reached to a point where it’s like, “This is a community that’s helped me through the tough times and it’s time for me to step up and give back a little bit more.”

Gpup:                   Okay. What is your giving back? What’s your gift to the community?

Stephen:             The main platform of the previous title year was to increase the visibility of the leather community to a wider audience. There is a perception of those who are involved with the leather community that it is kinksters and deviants and everything. I totally accept that and take it onboard quite happily. I wanted to be able to show to some of the people in the community that that’s not something to be afraid of, that that’s something that should be celebrated. In doing that, it’s only going to help the community. I mean, there’s some great organizations in Melbourne, like Leather Mob, that are exposing the leather community to a lot broader base of younger supporters.

I pushed it in a slightly different way. The main event that I ran, which I’ll continue to run on an annual basis with a high cow charity dinner. I was very specific in trying to make sure that that wasn’t just guys in formal leather. It was a formal and a high cal dinner. About 30% of the attendees at that were not necessarily leathermen. They were people, and some quite well respected senior members of our community, that came along and got to experience what it was like to be in a room full of men with leather. The feedback from them was fantastic. It really did take away some of their misconceptions of the leather community.

Another high point in the previous year was getting to address a charity function. I was speaking with Rowena Allen, which is our commissioner for gender equality appointed by the state government. She spoke and I spoke. Then afterwards we got to have a really good discourse. We’ve managed to keep in touch. It’s been a little bit of to and fro. What really struck me was that she said, “Is there anything that the commissioner can do for the leather community?” To be able to build that bridge is something that I’ve felt really quite …

Gpup:                   What sort of topics did you talk to her about?

Stephen:             I spoke mostly about my story. Often in a public speaking context. If you can just describe your story or your … I always [inaudible 00:08:43] about using the term journey. It comes across as very authentic and people resonate with that. People find that often much more interesting than pushing just forward on a particular issue or topic or an agenda.

Gpup:                   You’ve met at an equal ground?

Stephen:             Yeah.

Gpup:                   Okay.

Stephen:             In that particular function, she came across the same way.

Gpup:                   What topics do need to be address from an equality perspective with in the [greater 00:09:21] community and the leather community?

Stephen:             I think one of the biggest issues we’ll be facing over the next particularly two months, depending on the results of the election, is the effects running a plebiscite will have on the suicide rates of LGBTA. From what I’ve heard is with the recent attack on the Safe Schools Coalition, the number of suicides actually peaked at that. That sends a very damaging message to particularly young people. It doesn’t necessarily mean young in age, but young people in terms of where they are on their gay or lesbian timeline. If you’ve got the government saying your sexuality is bad, your sexuality is wrong, then that message is going to filter through. If we can try and mitigate some of those concerns during the plebiscite, if the little government gets in, it’ll be helpful for the community. That’s probably one of the most pressing issues facing the LGBTA community.

Gpup:                   We had a pretty fucking clear message just this week.

Stephen:             Yeah, with Orlando. I don’t believe it’s a terrorist attack. I believe it is someone who was raised with a religion that taught them that they were wrong, that their sexuality was wrong, and that their inability to accept their own sexuality was enough for them to flip into the role of a killer to deal with their own self-hatred and self-loathing. My biggest concern with that is the availability of assault-type weapons in the USA because that’s what facilitates the ability for these events to happen.

Gpup:                   Absolutely. I don’t want to go into the politics of guns, but certainly we can see in societies that don’t have access to guns. They don’t tend to have mass shootings. Japan, Australia, two very clear examples of lack of access to gun greatly reduces the pool of access and [inaudible 00:11:47]. For all of the NRA members who just switched off this thing, we can continue the interview.

Stephen:             I have no [conerns 00:11:54] in the NRA, but that’s coming from the Australian perspective where we don’t have that same idealization of guns as being necessary.

Gpup:                   We certainly don’t have a legal statute that says you have a right to carry a gun as well. You enter the Laird Leatherman competition. Were you expecting to win?

Stephen:             No. I went in it for a lot of fun. Again, trying to explain what the lead-up to a contest is like is, again, where most of the enjoyment comes from. In Melbourne we had a Facebook group that was a whole lot of banter. What it does is it allows the people that are competing together for a title to bond in a way that you don’t get as easily in just day-to-day contact. Out of eleven, I got five good mates that …

Gpup:                   It was a good mix of people as well. You’ve got young … Say, for example, Darby is a young [dom 00:13:18] who’s really advancing from his skillset and his presence in the community as well in many aspects. It’s good to see, dare I say, old [god 00:13:32] versus new god. I know. Culture [inaudible 00:13:37] really. This is a topic I want to talk about in a minute, but about mentorship and about that we did lose a generation of educated leathermen. Where do we go to fill that gap?

Stephen:             I think that gap’s starting to be filled. Thankfully we’ve had close to a generation of people not being wiped out through AIDS. That means there’s a lot more experience in the community now than what there might have been say ten or fifteen years ago where the worst of of the AIDS crisis. Having role models for younger people to look up to is kind of important. If they don’t have them, then there is no path to follow. This is probably leading towards the old god and new god. I’ve got some pretty interesting ideas in this, but the old god, I think as an idea of having a committee of people that set traditions and things is probably a bit of a fallacy and not something that actually happened. When you’ve got a vacuum of information, then it’s very easy to mythologize something that people would want.

Gpup:                   I think there’s stuff to be learned from protocol, though, and respect. I think there are some new members of various fetishes, whether that be … I come from a leather pup play perspective. I think that within the pup community we’ve learned respect and protocol and care of colors, and things like that. I think that from what I can understand, protocols are a very useful thing. As for a table of elders making decisions, well I’ve yet to see strong evidence of that.

Stephen:             I don’t think there is any evidence of that. That’s where traditions are important, but traditions shouldn’t be set in concrete. Each generation should be able to create their own and those that work and those that the committee finds valuable are the ones that will continue over time from generation to generation. They’re probably the ones that will become protocol with time.

Gpup:                   I think with bringing new people in that this is an important thing because they’re bringing new perspectives, new ideas. It’s not just an old bunch of fogies sitting around.

Stephen:             That’s where the old guard, so to speak, needs to be much more respectful of the younger community and realize that they’re going to do things differently. They’re going to do things that put traditionalists out of their comfort zone. They also [inaudible 00:16:49] leather community, and without them the leather community is not going to survive.

Gpup:                   Yeah. Absolutely. We have to support a future generation.

Stephen:             We’ve got as much to learn from them as they’ve got to learn from us. I think that mutual respect is something that’s going to encourage a lot more younger people to get involved with the leather community.

Gpup Alpha in his rubber pup gear

Hey there Pups! It’s aways exciting when the new rubber pup gear arrives!

Check Out The Latest Rubber Gear Here @ Mr S

I arrived home to a great package of my new clear rubber catsuit and matching rubber jock, fresh from having them chlorinated. Naturally I had to jump into the gear ASAP!!!

Rubber Pup In A Latex Catsuit

After a long day at work it was really nice to be able to rubber up, relax and pup out for a bit…

How’s your day going pup? Hugs and Tugs

Gpup Alpha

As an aside, chlorinated rubber makes it super easy to get in and out of your gear. No talc or lube needed! This is super handy if you like to get dressed up in your rubber gear solo.

You can read more about rubber chlorination in this post: Have You Heard Of Chlorinated Latex?

Mine was done here in Australia by OzFetish.

Important Rubber Pup Posts!

• Safety and health when wearing your rubber pup gear.
• How to care and nourish your latex clothing and gear.
• Rubber puppies out in Auckland.
• Confessions Of A Rubber Dog
• Latex Chlorination For Your Rubber Gear

Leather Pup Gpup Alpha

Gpup Alpha Talks About His Leather Pup Gear Passion

https://youtu.be/sZkABSSmGgc

My Favourite Leather Puppy Gear

• Custom Leather Dog Hood
• Leather Gloves
• Leather Dog Collar
• Short Leather Leash
• Leather MMA Mitts
• Pup Leather Mitts
• Leather Face Mask
• Leather Sports Shorts
• Leather Harnesses
• Leather Under Chaps Shorts
• Leather Chaps
• Leather Jockstrap
• Leather Kilt
• Leather Carpenter Shorts
• Leather Boots (Corcoran’s are my favorite)
• Langlitz Leather Jacket & Pants
• Leather Pants
• Short Sleeve Leather Shirt 
• Leather Police Shirt
• Long Sleeve Leather Shirt (more for formal events)
• Leather Vest
• Leather Bar Vests
• Leather Apron

Full Confessions Of A Leather Pup Transcript

Hi, pups. It’s Gpup here, and today, I want to have a little bit of a chat about my particular fascination as a bit of a leather pup. Now, I recently this year went to CLAW, the Cleveland Leather Appreciation Week, and it was freaking amazing. It was so nice to hang out with other people who also had a love and a passion for leather as well. It kind of made me think that … I think that there are a lot of people who are a bit daunted and don’t know how to get started as a leather pup, and I thought well, you know, here are … I just want to show you that you don’t have to have lots and lots of gear to be a leather pup but there are lots of options that are available.

One of the things that I really love is the leather pup hood. Now I’ve got a few of these. This is the Mr. S Leather Pup Hood. They’re really well made and they now come in all sorts of designs, and you can even have your own custom leather hood, which is pretty, pretty cool.

This here is my very first leather pup hood. This was actually … You can see the fur on the snout here and there’s also fur on the ears. When I first bought this from Mr. S, this stuff was sort of like a light brown tan coloured suede leather. I actually had one of my friends get some fur. I think it’s rabbit, actually. He saw that on top of the hood and it’s right, I really, really love it. It’s nice. You can actually adapt these hoods to however you like.

Hoods are really … Well, for me, they help define the leather pup because you got that leather all over your head. It feels nice. It smells nice. It’s a sensation kind of thing that goes with the whole second skin. However, if the hood’s not the first thing in your mind, you can go to really, really simple things like a pair of leather gloves. These are the classics, and they’re cheap to get. You can acquire a pair of gloves almost anywhere or a leather collar and leash. This is the short leash that I picked up at Mr. S. This collar here was actually my very first collar as a human pup. I was collared by my trainer, and this was the leather collar that I got to wear. That one’s a really, really important piece of gear to me and I love it dearly.

You can sort of accessorized this stuff up, so you’ve got leather gloves but don’t forget to protect your … You can get these leather mitts as well. If you really want to pop out, you can get the pup leather mitts. I’ll just show you a picture of that here.

Other things that can be kind of cool is I like this, this is face mask. It kind of … This is more for like that nasty vet kind of pet play where you have … It almost looks like a surgical mask, except it’s black leather of course, which kind of adds to that kink. I really, really like that. Look, when it comes to actually kink gear, you can have such a huge variety. There’s lots and lots of different stuff there, so really, it’s about adapting the gear to you kink. Of course, I love clothes. I love the feel of leather against my skin. A great place to start is shorts and because they’re super, super adaptable. They’re great to pup play in. These ones here, again, I picked them at Mr. S. They’ve got zipper pockets and this particular one has a little clips at the front. You can actually attach a leather harness to those, which is kind of cool. They come in black. They come in blue. You combine the shorts with a harness and you’ve got a potentially really hot look, whether that be for a dance party or a mosh, but it’s a good look, right? It’s not hugely expensive to get started with.

If you want to have a pair of leather shorts that you could also turn into a pair of pants, one option is to get these leather undershorts. They’re kind of cool. It’s got the codpiece at the front where your bits can go through there. Now what’s good about these is these are worn super, super tight against the skin. They’re sexy as a pair of shorts and you can wear them underneath a pair of leather chaps, which means that now, you’ve got a pair of shorts. You also are able to turn your leather chaps into a pair of leather pants, which is very, very adaptable. I think that, that’s a really great combo that if you don’t want to have separate leather pants, separate shorts, then this is a really great option. You get the undershorts and the pair of chaps, and you’ve got a really kick-ass combination. You could even wear like a jockstrap underneath your leather chaps. That’s like three different looks, very, very adaptable. Like, if price is going to be an issue, that might be a way to go.

Other looks that can be really super sexy and super fun is, of course, the kilt. Cannot go wrong. The leather kilt’s a great … I like the really heavy, heavy leather kilts. They sit nicely and they hang nicely. It’s got that heaviness about it that feels really, really good. This one is made from a softer leather, and it’s really, really nice but not quite as heavy as the bigger ones.

Another pair of shorts that I love, these are the carpenter shorts. Again, it’s that really nice garment leather. It’s lovely and soft and it’s got this double zipper at the front. Again, similar to the other pair of shorts, you can get the junk out without having to undo the complete set of pants. These are great in summer. They look good in formal. They look great in a mosh but also, you can just wear the shorts and a pair of boots. That’s pretty cool as well.

Now if you want to go absolutely mental, if you want to buy the tuxedo of leather gear, then it’s Langlitz. Langlitz, really, they’re well known. They’re the bluff uniform I suppose. This is a Langlitz jacket. It got the shoulder padding and as well as the elbow padding and the pants where you can get the knee padding as well.

Look, make sure, before you buy Langlitz gear that your body shape is not going to change rapidly soon. If you’re gaining weight or if you’re losing weight, wait until your body shape and size is established because these … It’s a significant investment. It’s a very well-made leather garment. It’s something that’s going to be with you for a long period of time in your life, so you want to make sure that it’s going to fit for as long as possible. Langlitz are great. When I went to their store in Portland, the pants didn’t fit quite so well, so they’re actually able to do the alterations then and there. They fit amazing now.

That’s the law of garments. I love … You can’t go wrong with a nice leather shirt. It looks beautiful in formal wear. I tend to go for color, so this is more of a blue with black. You can get the play shirts and long sleeve and short sleeve as well, and it looks really good, say, for example, check that underneath the jacket. You’ve got a really smart leather formal look, which I like.

For out and about and for moshing, leather vests are great. This one here is perforated, which is fantastic in the mosh, really fucking great in the mosh because it lets the heat out. If you tend to overheat, then you want to go for things that are a little bit more open. You can also have bar vests, which are … They’re not expensive. They are a great piece of gear that you really can’t go wrong with. What I do like about a good bar vest is pins. They’re kind of fun and you can swap pins with people. I really like … This was a pin that was given to me at CLAW, and I also got some lovely Woof Camp pins as well from the fantastic Brue Kirk Pierce. Yeah, it’s a really good opportunity to be able to just talk. It’s a talking point and you can have some really happy memories on your leather gear as well.

Pups, I know, I’ve spoken a lot and I apologize. I do tend to get a little bit obsessive about my leather gear, but I just wanted to talk about it and say, look, there are lots of options that are available for people who want to get started in leather. You don’t have to be buying a big pile of Langlitz gear. You can just start with something really, really simple like a pair of gloves, a leather hood or even your first collar, a beautiful human pup collar that’s going to be the start of your journey. There you go, pups.

That was just a little bit of a tour of my, a bit of my life and a bit of my wardrobe as a leather pup, and I just wanted to share that with you and maybe inspire some other pups out there who also have an interest in leather that you, too, can get started. I’ll put some videos also below this one about leather care. My good friend who is a Bootblack, Dire,has made a video with me about how to care for leather and particularly your leather hoods. I hope this is really helpful. You guys have a rocking day and please, post me a picture of you and your leather gear. I freaking love them. You have a great day, pups. See you. Bye.

Microchipping The Human Pup

In this post I wanted to share an interview I had with Pup Seca of The Dog Star Pack who was recently visiting form New Zealand. Over dinner Seca was telling me that he has been microchipped. For me this was fascinating as it’s such a clear connection between my passion for technology and human pup play. Also Seca is the first microchipped human pup I’ve met!

Key points I got from the conversation include:

• Human pups interested in human microchipping need to find a person who is willing and able to do this. Tattoo artists, or piercing places may not have all the facilities required. In Seca’s case a vet was eventually chosen however it’s in a grey area of practice.
• Vet’s have easy access to microchips and are also equipped to do the insertion in a sterile and safe manner.
• Seca’s microchip was in the back of the neck similar to where a biopup would be chipped.
• The RFID chip is unlikely to migrate to other places in the body. It’s only just able to be felt deep under the skin.
• Seca had the procedure done without anaesthetic. He reports he was in full pup headspace, got treats afterwards for being a good pup.

Pup Seca In The Process Of Micro Chip Insertion

Why would a human get microchipped? As noted in this Sydney Morning Herald article, it’s convenient and cutting edge.

Thousands of technology enthusiasts use it as the ultimate app, enabling them to lock and unlock their homes, cars, computers and mobile phones with a simple wave of a hand. But there’s a catch: they must have a microchip inserted into their bodies.

The idea may seem weird, and painful, but human microchipping appears to appeal not only to amateurs, who call themselves biohackers, but also to governments, police forces, medical authorities and security companies.

It involves using a hypodermic needle to inject an RFID (radio-frequency identification) microchip, the size of a grain of rice, usually into the person’s hand or wrist. The same kind of chip is used for tracking lost pets.

The implants send a unique ID number that can be used to activate devices such as phones and locks, and can link to databases containing limitless information, including personal details such as names, addresses and health records.

RFID chips are everywhere. Basically, if you have to swipe a card, your ID is encoded in the magnetic stripe. If you touch it to a reader, as with Myki, it has an RFID chip with your number on it linked to the relevant database with your info on it. The latest credit cards have both stripe and RFID.

Some RFID tags have a tiny battery or other power source, enabling them to operate at hundreds of metres so they don’t need to be within line of sight of a reader. As far as we know, this type cannot yet be made small enough to embed in humans.

Cybernetics scientist Dr Mark Gasson of the University of Reading, in Britain, became the first human to be infected with a computer virus, after he injected himself with a microchip in 2009 to control electronic devices in his office.

The virus was replicated on the swipecards of staff accessing his building and infected the university’s database. Nonetheless, Gasson and other scientists say a new world with mass populations of computerised people is imminent and inevitable.

They say complex computing devices routinely implanted into humans for medical reasons also have the technology to enhance the abilities of healthy people.

“It has the potential to change the very essence of what it is to be human,” Gasson says. “It’s not possible to interact in society today in any meaningful way, without having a mobile phone. I think human implants will go along a similar route. It will be such a disadvantage not to have the implant that it will essentially not be optional.”

That said, as Seca reports in his video, he’s not using the chip for anything other than physical identification. If scanned via chip reader, Seca is registered in the USA to his alpha pup bouncer as 4 year old husky, complete with a picture of himself in the database.

Currently scanning for ID chips is not a routine procedure in hospitals so I imagine the confusion between Seca’s current presentation not matching that of a husky is going to be avoided. It does however raise the question of what could happen if scanning did become routine.

So what could possibly go wrong? As reported in Vice Magazine:

My smartphone is already effectively a wireless hip implant, and apps for unlocking my house, making contactless payments and other RFID applications already exist. The only thing a smartphone-a-like implant adds (for now) is risk.

The privacy concern is the most obvious: I already give huge amounts of personal data over to my network provider, but at least with my phone I can unplug if I want to – I can switch off my handset and sling it in a drawer. Which I couldn’t do as easily if the tech was buried somewhere in my arm.

The second, more future-gazing, concern with any kind of human enhancement technology is obsolescence. Think of it like this: remember your last-but-one mobile phone upgrade, and how enviable/life-changing it was? The same phone that’s now sitting abandoned in a box full of old chargers, dead batteries and cheap bundled earbuds? Well, now imagine if upgrading from that handset to your current one involved surgery. I already covet my friends’ spangly new smartphones – I don’t need that sort of upgrade pressure with something that requires anaesthetic and a scalpel to dispose of.

Finally, there’s the security question. About a year ago, I spoke with Avi Rubin, a digital security expert, John Hopkins University computer science professor and author of this TED talk. We were discussing the Hollywood and TV portrayal of hackers – the pasty, disaffected villains and anti-heroes who only have to tap out a few lines of code and suddenly Jack Bauer is being chased by a Predator drone or Bruce Willis is being blown up in a gasworks.

Ridiculous, obviously – but only up to a point. In Rubin’s line of work, there are far too many examples of wireless devices that are nominally hack-proof that turn out to be, well, not hack-proof. Why does this matter for a chip that opens the door to your office? It probably doesn’t. Where it absolutely does matter is in the context of, for example, digital health devices – implants that might be used to monitor patients’ medical conditions or provide regular doses of medication from a built-in drug reservoir.

Rubin gives the chilling example in his talk of a team of researchers who found that they could reliably disable modern pacemakers from a laptop. That sort of potential vulnerability might be worth the risk in the treatment of a life-threatening medical condition, but should give us real pause before we start injecting ourselves with unnecessary consumer devices that might be open to outside tampering.

Currently there is no evidence that the microchip would cause harm over time. Seca can still have X-rays and MRI medical procedures. However it’s important these questions are fully explored before getting any medical devices inserted into the body.

So why would a human pup get microchipped?

Given that Seca isn’t opening doors or unlocking chains of events with his microchip why would a human dog get chipped? For me and answer is in the words “human dog“. Microchipping is routine in the canine world. It signifies ownership as well as control.

For the human pup it’s an additional layer to headspace, knowing that in the back of the neck is a small chip that signifies “I too am a dog, chipped, owned and registered.” It’s that once step closer to canine than the average human pup.

Important to ensure this is a medical procedure, done by a professional.

Hugs and Tugs,

Gpup Alpha

How To Relate To Your Pup Handler

In this video Pup Bolt and I had the chance to catch up when I was visiting Seattle. This is part of an hour long conversation that was way too long to be included as part of his show “Watt’s The Safeword” he does with Pup Amp. In this section we talk about the importance to clear communication between the pup and a human pup handler.

Bolt was kind enough to allow me to be able to share parts of the recording. Thanks mate!

In this section we talk about the important relationship between pup and handler in human pup play.

The Dynamic Between Pup & Human Pup Handler

Most importantly we cover negotiation and how it needs to happen before the power dynamic of puppy to trainer happens. You need to work out what is going to be happening before you are on all fours!!

Also covered is the concept of “transaction in human pup play”. To quote Sirius Pup’s Second Collar Human Pup Training: Interaction

To transact simply means to exchange something. Like any form of negotiation, a transaction in pup play works as a process in which you, or the “other”, offers something, expects something in return, and it is either accepted or rejected. It is very simple.

As a pup you will keep it simple. You will offer something and make a demand. The “other” weighs up what it will cost him to fulfill this. If it balances, if it seems a fair exchange, then the “transaction” goes ahead. If it doesn’t balance right, the negotiation continues. Your Trainer might make a demand of you, while offering you something in return. You must consider what it means to take what’s on offer and what it means to comply with the demand. Unlike some forms of BDSM, in this pup play, both sides have to exchange and get something out of it.

Remember both you the pup and the pup handler have the opportunity to define and explore what you want to happen in your scene.

“Ask for what you want, make and offer of what you are willing to give and then negotiate. Transact!”

Hugs and tugs,

Gpup Alpha

Full interview transcript between Pup Bolt and Gpup Alpha

Pup Bolt: What’s a handler’s role in the relationship? What do they do to get the pup ready? What do they do in that relationship?

Gpup Alpha: That’s kind of an interesting one, because being a handler is not necessarily a sexual role. For me, there is sexual charge to human pup play, but a lot of people don’t like sex and pup play being together.

Pup Bolt: I’ve done it personally. I actually really enjoy it. It’s a little odd. It’s a little taboo sometimes, but …

Gpup Alpha: I think if you’re in that head space, then that presence of now, that being focused on the sensory, I think can be really good as a sexual thing, but a handler doesn’t necessarily have a sexual role. One of the big questions is “Are they my partner?” No, they’re your handler. A lot of people worry that if they have a handler, does that mean that they’re cheating on their boyfriend and all that sort of stuff.

Pup Bolt: I wish Amp was here to discuss this, because he’s got the handler and he’s single. Not with me, guys. I’m not dating him. I don’t like that.

Gpup Alpha: The more you know … Available for pup play dates.

Pup Bolt: Exactly.

Gpup Alpha: I’m in a unique position in that my partner is also my trainer and handler as well, but I think it’s just important that you’re aware that it’s about negotiating. You can negotiate the role. As pup, it’s really important that when you meet with your handler initially is that you talk about what you want to get out of it. I’m a big believer in transaction, and that’s one of the things that we teach our pups, is that you need to learn to transact as a human pup.

Pup Bolt: That’s right.

Gpup Alpha: Do you guys …

Pup Bolt: No, I’m not even familiar with … What is the term “transact”?

Gpup Alpha: Transaction is an acting term. Human pup play, there’s a lot of acting in it.

Pup Bolt: That’s true.

Gpup Alpha: If you throw yourself into the role, then you can really enjoy it. A transaction is “What do I want?” Decide what you want. Then you decide “What am I wiling to give to get what I want?” You would say to your handler, “Today I would like to have a bit of a pup wrestle and as part of that, I am willing to also do some training with you as well,” or “I’m willing for you to do some photography,” or stuff like that. Transaction can work in a lot of different things, so if I’m talking with somebody in a work environment, when you learn transaction, you quickly learn … If somebody’s offering you a deal, he’s saying, “I would like you to do X, Y, and Z for me,” and then you can go back and say, “I am willing to do X, Y, and Z. However, I will need you to … Could you please make sure that the calendar’s clear, that I’ll have time to do that?”

With transaction as well, it’s not hard and fast. You can say, “This is what I want. This is what I’m willing to do,” and then you negotiate the differences.

Pup Bolt: Whoa, it’s a negotiation.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, absolutely. Pups, this negotiation happens with you standing on two feet. Don’t do it when you’re on the pup floor. You’ve got to do it before you go into that.

Pup Bolt: Right.

Gpup Alpha: If you don’t like the answers that you’re getting, that’s a really good time to say, “Look, it sounds great, but I think I left the iron on at home.”

Pup Bolt: Oh. Okay. Yeah.

Gpup Alpha: Seriously. People say, “How do I meet a handler?” Have you seen that bot that’s on [recon 00:03:59]. It says, “My name is Sir and you will only ever address me as Sir.”

Pup Bolt: Oh yeah.

Gpup Alpha: “The only answer you can give me is yes or no.” I don’t know who wrote that bot, but …

Pup Bolt: Terrible person.

Gpup Alpha: Could you imagine that person as a handler?

Pup Bolt: As an actual …

Gpup Alpha: “You will sit in the corner and look at the floor.” It’s like, this is going to be a really fun session.

Pup Bolt: No. “While I masturbate on your back.” Okay, well, that’s not fun for me.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah, yeah. When you’re meeting a handler, consider it a job interview. It’s for both people. You’re getting to know each other and to see whether you actually match.

Pup Bolt: Kind of like a date. It is a relationship thing, but it’s not the same as a date.

Gpup Alpha: It’s not the same. It’s a little bit of a different date. After … When you’ve been a pup long enough, it’s a date. It’s like, all right, yeah, sure, we met, we had a bit of a pup play. I think it is important that you treat it as if you’re going into a relationship, because there is going to be … You’re going to be putting yourself into a vulnerable position, so it’s important. For you to be able to enjoy being vulnerable, you have to feel safe. If you don’t feel safe with somebody, then you’re probably right.

Pup Bolt: So, trust. Trust is clearly the biggest issue here.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah. Now remember to be able to differentiate between anxiety and butterflies of anticipation on what’s going to happen and fear. Sometimes your trainer might say to you, “Today, we’re going to try this slightly bigger tail.” Some people will be a bit anxious about that, but they’ll go, “Okay.”

Pup Bolt: “Okay, I can do that, yeah.”

Gpup Alpha: “I’ll give it a go. We’ll see. I’ll go in with the true Aussie spirit of I’ll Have A Bash.” If he pulls out a XXXL pup tail and you’re an anal virgin, then that’s him just being an asshole.

Pup Bolt: Yeah.

Gpup Alpha: You need to be able to go, “That’s not going to happen. You can hit me on the head with that as much as you like. It’s not going up my ass.”

Pup Bolt: There’s clearly an exchange there. You got to trust them, and if they do something that’s out of your trust, that’s not what you want, then you got to make sure you say it.

Gpup Alpha: Be clear, be articulate, because after it’s happened, it’s too late.

Pup Bolt: Just because you’re a puppy doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion.

Gpup Alpha: Yeah. You’re a human pup. You actually have the ability to go, “You know what? I don’t want to do that.”

Pup Bolt: Yeah.

Gpup Alpha: Or say for example if you’ve got particular triggers. We all have things that we don’t like or it’s like, “Nope, I don’t want you to do that.” In the negotiation before you get to know a handler, you should be talking about this stuff. “I really like X, Y, and Z. I really hate A, B, C.” Be clear about it. Say what you want. Say what you don’t want, and negotiate the differences.

Pup Bolt: Right.

Gpup Alpha: Transact.

Pup Bolt: Exactly. Transact.

Gpup Alpha: Bing.

Pup Bolt: More you know …