title: An Exploratory Study of a New Kink Activity: "Pup Play".
abstract: This study presents the narratives and experiences of 30 gay and bisexual men who participate in a behavior known as "pup play." Never empirically studied before, we use in-depth interviews and a modified form of grounded theory to describe the dynamics of pup play and develop a conceptual framework with which to understand it. We discuss the dynamics of pup play, demonstrating that it primarily consists of mimicking the behaviors and adopting the role of a dog. We show that the majority of participants use pup play for sexual satisfaction. It is also a form of relaxation, demonstrated primarily through the existence of a "headspace." We classify pup play as a kink, and find no evidence for the framing of it as a form of zoophilia. We call for further research on pup play as a sexual kink and leisure activity from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sunderland, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St. Peter's, Sunderland, SR6 0DD, UK. liamwignall@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wignall
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Social Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCormack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D004285:Dogs; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: BDSM; Kink; Leisure; Pup play; Role-play