photo by photognome
Today’s post comes from Skylerpet, a submissive pet in a D/s relationship who volunteered to write an essay for me after seeing the Weekly Tips on YouTube. Thank you Skylerpet! She has since written another short piece specifically on Human Pets that you can read here.
Pet play is one of the most unique, one of the least known and in my opinion one of the most fun and entertaining sub-cultures in the BDSM, D/s and “kink” lifestyle. Now, I write this from the perspective of a submissive female, so please keep in mind that it can be changed around to any form you want.
Pet play involves one or more people acting as an animal with typically the submissive being the animal and the Dominant being the “Owner” and/or “Trainer.” I have heard of the Dominant being the animal and Dominating his/her submissive that way, such as holding the submissive down with a bite on the neck, but I am unfamiliar with this.
What animals are common for submissives to be? Most commonly you will see ponies, puppies and pigs. I myself have been a kitty and as of this writing am a puppy. Less frequently I have also seen bunnies, cows and once a seal, though I have no experience with these animals.
For me, one of the biggest reasons I enjoy pet play, aside from it simply being fun, is that it reinforces the Owner/owned relationship. Non-human pets are owned and completely dependent on their owner. They get fed when the owner decides and only then. Their toys and medical care is wholly dependent upon the owner remembering and doing. In a 24/7 D/s relationship this is often times also true. The slave is fed after their Owner has eaten. They wear what their Owner wishes, sleeps when and where their Owner tells them, and follows the rules their Owner dictates. So it is with non-human pets. The only difference is that your non-human pets didn’t consent. You choose them and bring them home upon your own whim. With D/s pet play, the submissive consents to be the property of their Owner. For me, being an animal, being “less than human” reinforces my Dom’s Domination of me. He is a Man and wholly human. I am a pup. His pup.
How is the animal chosen?
There are typically three ways.
- One way is the submissive acting upon his/her instincts to which animal they most identify with. If the submissive is loyal and playful perhaps they lean towards puppy. If they enjoy being led around and high protocol training perhaps it would be pony.
- One other common way for the animal to be chosen is for the Dominant to choose for the submissive. If S/He prefers a puppy to a kitty, the submissive will be molded into a puppy. As another example if the Dom is a farmer who enjoys breastfeeding from His submissive, perhaps He would like her to be a cow.
- The submissive can also switch animals from time to time if their pet play is temporary, if they simply enjoy experimentation or if they do not identify with one particular animal.
Why pet play?
- One large reason many D/s couples go into pet play is for the humiliation and dependence aspect. Restricting a submissive’s movement and vocalizations forces them to be that much more dependent on their Dom. Also, not being allowed on furniture or having to use a litter box instead of a toilet can be very humiliating for some.
- Another is because it is simply fun. It is a great psychological and emotional release to be able to come home and let loose the restrictions of humanity and what humans are “supposed to be like.” It is just plain fun to bat around a cat toy or play tricks and get treat rewards. It could also be described as a “de-stressing” process from the rigors of daily life, especially if the participants work outside the home.
- It can help with submission, as taking away some parts of the submissive’s humanity can help take away their sense of equality. It can help the submissive orient their mind to their Dom being their focus in life.
- Pet play could also be used as punishment. If the submissive misbehaves badly it could be punishment to be put out in the pig stalls with the pigs for a period of time, or whatever animal is available, and made to act like that animal as the punishment.
How does one engage in pet play?
- Restrict movement via bondage.
- Restrict verbal communication, perhaps to only certain words or animal sounds such as “woof!” or “mew!” or more child-like words such as “up!” or “potty!”.
- Training exercises such as tricks for puppies, walking on leads and leashes or for ponies pulling a cart/plow.
- Eating and drinking out of bowls without the use of hands and/or silverware.
- Learning to use a litter box instead of a toilet, or even going outside.
- Playing with toys, such as batting toys for kitties or tug-of-war toys for puppies.
- Begging in the manner of the animal you identify with, such as a puppy whining.
- Caging.
- Not being allowed on furniture without permission.
Also, safety is incredibly important!
So please keep these things in mind, and also any others that fit your lifestyle:
- When it comes to eating actual animal food, while it is okay for perhaps a short scene, it is not safe to do so on a regular basis. Humans have different nutritional needs than animals do, and it is incredibly important to get your nutritional needs met. There are many ways to simulate animal food and treats such as mashing up meatloaf with ketchup, using stews or even baking treats in the shapes of bones and such. However, for any long term play, Eukanuba, Purina and any other brand of animal food you use, are for canines and felines, not humans.
- If you choose to use training and/or shock collars, please, PLEASE read the instructions! On a personal level I am not into electric play, but it is out there. So please, be careful and safe.
- If you put your pup slave into a kennel, please keep in mind that they are very cramped. You do not want your pup slave to be damaged from being in that position for long periods of time.
- If the submissive has had their ability to move and speak restricted it is incredibly important that some form of communication is available to them so that they may communicate if something has happened and/or gone wrong, both physically and emotionally.
- Also, in my opinion having a human pet can add some responsibility to the Dom because when some of the submissive’s humanity is taken away and especially if their communication is restricted, the Dominant must that much more aware of the submissive’s frame of mind.
So that’s a very basic overview of pet play. It can get a lot more specific if one looks at each relationship and the animal(s) involved. A note though; pet play sometimes can be sexual, and sometimes can be completely non-sexual. It, as with everything else, simply depends on the couple involved. Please keep in mind that I am in no way speaking of bestiality. This is two or more human beings acting and role playing within the confines of their negotiated relationship.
Most importantly: Have fun and ask questions if you need or want to!!
In my opinion, pet play can deepen submission, but only if it’s right for you.
Check out her newer post on Human Pets!
Skylerpet is a 24/7 submissive pup in her late 20′s. She has been into pet play since she discovered the D/s lifestyle and can be reached at: requiemskye@yahoo.com for emails and also YIM chat.
My name is lunaKM and I’m a full-time stay-at-home submissive in a D/s relationship.
I started blogging when I was exploring D/s online in 2003. I needed advice, mentors and helping hands. Since then I've made it my mission to help novice submissives understand themselves and the services they wish to provide. 
Reading Pet Play and Human Pets: A Primer http://tinyurl.com/cola5d * woot that’s mine! :)
Very informative blog thank you. On an off note some pet toys are not good for human pets so you want to make sure you get one they can use comfortably. A lot of dog toys are very furry or can be sharp or too big for a human mouth. You might want to taste test yourself when picking out a toy for your puppy. Also they have treat balls that when a puppy or kitty rolls it around treats come out. From past play I know those are a bad idea unless you want to be vacuuming a lot of squashed treats out of your carpet or sweeping off the floor. Plus unless your floor is really clean this could cause your human pet to pick up germs. Smaller cat toys roll under dressers, fridges, and other places very easily getting lost as well. Plus if there too small its often hard for a human kitty to bat and play with it properly. When shopping for your pet just put yourself in there shoes in order to pick up things that won’t be harmful or messy…Once again a very insightful and enjoyable essay thank you.
Great article. =)
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@mscdsarkangel: very good points about the toys! i do admit to having some fun thoughts of playing with one of those little balls with the holes in it though LOL! And yes, taste testing is very important. When i pick out new dog bones for myself i always make sure to get the ones with the little hole on the back of the packaging so i can rub my finger on it. That also gives you a good idea of the texture. They also do list the ingredients, what went into making the product so you can know in regards to what kind of play you will be doing with it.
And also one note about collars: if you choose to wear an animal collar, as i do, it’s important to feel out the fabric first. Some can be very itchy and irritating. As we don’t have real fur to protect our necks, if you plan on wearing it for a long time you want to take that into consideration.
@elle: thanks! :)
skylerpet’s recent blog post..raondomness
good information. I, personally, am just getting started with pet play, but I prefer the idea of being a pet girl rather than an animal. similar frame of mind, subservient and submissive, completely dependent on my dom or ‘owner’ while we’re palying. But i still use a toilet and eat ‘people’ food. Do you have any more insight or direction for me to look on the more human side of being a pet?
My puppy and I have had many good times with this but we’ve actually made a lifestyle of it. We both just enjoyed our roles so much that we decided to live them. She comes to bed when invited up, she knows all of her basic obedience, she comes to me when she’s hungry and she always loves to snuggle and just be cuddled. It’s not really about BDSM for us. I first implemented the idea to overcome some trust issues she had from a previous abusive relationship and now, we have a much deeper relationship and such an intimate understanding of each other. She relies on me heavily when we’re alone in our apartment and is always seeking my guidance when we’re out in public (not to say she can’t take care of herself. She’s very capable). It feels so good to have someone rely so much on me and for her, it feels good to be cherished and cared for so deeply. We love our life together as pet and owner and she’s even become so comfortable with it that we’ll be attending a “pet show” sometime this year. As a matter of fact, it’s her bath time now followed by some show training. ;)
Does this border line on being furry? Not that theres anything wrong with that but the whole ‘animal they most identify with’ bit seems to be a repeated concept of the furry subculture. This is merely an observational question, I mean no offense to any parties.
Actually, being a pet and a furry are very far apart, as I am both, and the two never combine, being a furry is having a love for anthropomorphic animals (i.e. Looney Toons characters) and feeling to be apart of them which includes fursuits, art, being silly and letting yourself loose, it’s non judgemental because no one knows who you are behind your head piece, being a human pet is quite different where you relinquish control to your master/trainer/ect and do everything in your power to make them happy, and are very open to people knowing it’s you via pics, videos, so forth. They both do have a sexual side to it, but human pets, I would say, are on the more “extreme” end of the spectrum as far as kink goes, bondage, dominance, submission, and what ever tickles your fancy.
Though they do seem like they would be similar, they aren’t that sam actually, I hope I’ve cleared up a few things for the curious and I’m open to more questions to help any one ^_^
*wags her tail and licks*
I have always dreamed of being someones kitten, but I never knew it was really possible. I’m a very cute, friendly, and busty mtf transsexual. [edited to remove private information.]
Wonderful info!!! I have recently entered into an Owner/pup relationship and all tips are most appreciated. I cannot wait to see what other info is offered in related posts by this author.
[...] being the animal and the Dominant being the “Owner” and/or “Trainer,” according to Submissive Guide. Usually people act out this fantasy with “ponies, puppies and pigs.” That makes bird play [...]
Wonderful and informative article!! Very insightful!!
I recommend stuffed animals for pets. I own a baby monster and I bought it an Ugly Doll (Ninja Bat) and my baby monster pet cried tears of joy and carries its toy everywhere.
I LOVED reading this article! Though some things I do not agree with, I find myself…drawn into continuing to read and to see your point of view on this. I have read a few things on pet play and being a kitty myself have a weird obsession with looking into everything and reading into it. I haven’t had many good experiences with pet play or my past owners, but I LOVE acting and dressing up as a kitten and showing off my submissive side. The only thing I really disagree with is the bondage and using a real litter box. Personally that is way to much for me, but I think its interesting to read about it.