The Secret Life of Human Pups Revealed in this Barking Mad Trailer

Channel 4 in the UK is airing a new documentary about “pup play,” the act of dressing and inhabiting the role of a dog while another person takes on the role of handler or trainer. The Secret Life of Human Pups tackles the sexual (or not – totally up to you) subculture that grew out of the BDSM community and has exploded in recent years.

Nell Frizzell at The Guardian explains:

Human pups tend to be male, gay, have an interest in dressing in leather, wear dog-like hoods, enjoy tactile interactions like stomach rubbing or ear tickling, play with toys, eat out of bowls and are often in a relationship with their human “handlers.”

One of the documentary subjects, Tom Peters, who won Mr Puppy UK as his alter ego “Spot,” says his fiancee (pictured above) ended their relationship when he awoke to his pup identity. He now lives with a “trainer” called Colin.

He says:

“I wouldn’t say it was the catalyst [of our breakup], but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Then I had this moment of panic because a puppy without a collar is a stray; they don’t have anyone to look after them. I started chatting to Colin online and he offered to look after me. It’s a sad thing to say, but there’s not love from the heart in me for Colin–but what I have got is someone who is there for me and I’m happy with that.”

The appeal of pup play? For Tom, it’s all about freedom, fun, and animal instinct:

“You’re not worrying about money, or food, or work,” he says. “It’s just the chance to enjoy each other’s company on a very simple level.”

Another subject, Kaz, who lives with eight other pups and has his partner be his trainer, says he always knew he was a canine at heart:

“Even when I worked in PC World I would sometimes walk up to people and nip at their shirt. I got in trouble once; someone walked into the PC repair centre and I had part of their dad’s computer in my mouth. But the other staff knew I was like that to everyone. They didn’t find it weird.”

For Kaz, it’s about expressing one’s true canine identity:

“Even when I worked in PC World I would sometimes walk up to people and nip at their shirt. I got in trouble once; someone walked into the PC repair centre and I had part of their dad’s computer in my mouth. But the other staff knew I was like that to everyone. They didn’t find it weird.”
At home, he eats out of a dog bowl:

“It’s just nice, it makes me feel comfortable…But I always eat with a knife and fork and at a table. Otherwise it’s time-consuming and you can’t watch TV.”

Watch the trailer below. (via Jezebel)