A New Year's Message from International Puppy 2014

Another year draws to a close. Like any other year, it’s had its ups and downs, its challenges and rewards. But as the last hours and minutes of 2013 tick down to the dawn of 2014, let’s take just a few of those minutes and look back on what we – the pups and handlers of our community – have accomplished. It’s worth taking that time, because we’ve grown a lot and come a long way in just 365 days.

As 2014 dawns with its still-undefined potentials, it’s important that we – the pups and handlers of our community – go forward into it together. For all the growth and achievement we found in 2013, this next year promises even more.  We haven’t yet fully explored or given voice to the power we have as a group. Let this be the year we make that voice, not just heard, but understood.

As 2014 opens with its as-yet unrecognized possibilities, it’s important that we cast aside the shackles of negativity and let our common bond of pup play be the foundation on which we build both our world and one of our connections with the broader kink & fetish community.

As 2014 comes in with its untold opportunities, it’s important that we use each and every one we’re given to better ourselves, as individuals, as pups and handlers, and as the big pack we have the potential to be.

As 2014 brings in the new, let’s all use this chance to cast aside the old that’s held us back. Carry forward instead all those things that strengthen and define us as pups, as handlers, and as part of a greater whole. The future truly can be what we make of it. So let’s keep only those things that make it better and dispense with all those things that will do nothing but inhibit our growth.

I’m looking forward to the possibilities, challenges, and adventures that await in 2014. I’m looking forward to getting out there to meet, have fun with, and learn from many of the amazing pups and handlers that make up our community.  Most of all, I’m looking forward to doing those things that will make our pack better and stronger, something in which we can all take pride!

Pup Tripp

IPC International Puppy 2014

Letting the Pup Heart Shine Through

 

It doesn’t seem like a month has passed since I was in Tampa alongside three other great pups. Yet it has. The last month has flown by, what with me laying out the base plans for the remainder of my title year, getting schedules to line up and getting ready for the fun that’s sure to lie ahead. There’s so much to look forward to, and that’s where I keep my focus.

But, as I do from time to time, I look back to remember where I’ve been. For me, it’s a powerful tool to keep me on track as I go forward; to never get so caught up in what’s unfolding that I lose sight of what got me there. And, today, seeing a particular photo momentarily took me back to that weekend.

For those who don’t know, my dad left this world less than 2 weeks before the contest. In fact, his funeral was Nov. 4^th, and I was in Tampa for the contest on the 7^th. So, going into that weekend, I wasn’t far removed from that deeply-felt loss.  My dad knew I’m a pup. He may not have entirely understood what that meant, but he knew it was important to me and he was proud of me for getting out there like I do. Right before he went to sleep for the last time, I made him a promise – that I would go down to Tampa and make him proud one more time. When I made that promise, it wasn’t that I had to win, but only that I would stand up there on that stage and do my best. He actually nodded a little, so I think he heard me. It was actually one of the last things I said to him.

I’ll be honest. It wasn’t always easy during the contest weekend. It weighed heavier than I thought it would. There were a lot of times when I would think about my dad and lose focus on what I was doing. Sometimes I wondered if I was even supposed to be there. I tried to hide those moments. I didn’t want to be the dark cloud on something that was supposed to be fun for all of us involved.

The one thing that kept bringing me back out of it, though, was staying in touch with my inner pup. Being alongside the likes of Hercules, Ego, and Amp made that possible. Being among the rest of my pupbrothers and family was the much-needed reminder of what we’re all about: one big puppy pack that’s there for one another. All that pup energy kept bringing me back to myself, to the pup I am in my heart.

And, in reflecting on that, I see again the real power of the pup heart. Even through such darkness as grief, being in touch with my inner pup gave me strength and focus. It brought me back to who I am and what it is I bring into it all. For my speech, I spoke about the importance of embracing the inner pup, of raising our heads and being proud as pups. I meant it then and now, as I look back, the words take on even more meaning.  Embracing that inner pup, letting it lift you to where you know you can be, has more potential than we realize. More than ever, I begin to understand how important it is for us to remain true to who and what we are, because there lies our strength.

And as I turn my focus forward again, I’m reminded anew of the promise and the power we pups can bring to ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and those around us – just by being who we are.  We have the strength and the drive to help each other and together build a community we can be proud to call our own.

 

WHEN WORLDS CONVERGE: Pups and the Leather World

 

Over the course of my travels and meetings in the pup community, I encounter many questions about how we pups fit in with the broader leather and fetish world – or if we even need to fit in at all. I also often hear pups asking how newer pups can learn more about the leather community. At the same time, I hear comparable questions coming from leather folk and kinksters about the pup community. Fortunately, these questions are very closely related, and the answers – while maybe not complete – can address all of them.

Now, I don’t pretend for even a moment to be an expert on either the puppy world or the broader leather and fetish community. My experience in the former goes back only six years and a little more than a decade in the latter. There are plenty of people in both who have been involved far longer than I have, and my own experiences pale in comparison. Every time I’m out an event or just talking with someone online or at a chance meeting, I almost always walk away having learned something new.  Having said that, however, I feel somewhat comfortable enough to give some general answers to the questions mentioned.

Of course, when it comes to the pup world, our own diversity isn’t limited to leather. Even though our roots, at least in the U.S., can be traced back to the earlier leather community, our own growth has encompassed a larger cross-section of interests. We have among us a number of pups who don’t identify with leather at all. A large percentage of us are more into rubber or other non-leather gear, and pups who aren’t into any kink or fetish beyond pup play. Many are comfortable being just on the fringe of the leather & fetish world, and that is perfectly fine.

But there are those who are interested in learning more and opening the door to make those connections. And there are those on the other side of that door trying to learn more about us. That is where it can all begin to come together.

Granted, the world of leather and fetish can seem a little daunting to the unknowing outsider looking in. Even though the leather mystique that’s been built up has been rendered somewhat translucent with the advent of social networking, there’s still a lot to navigate. Fortunately, for us pups, making the connection from our community to the broader leather & fetish world can be a little easier because, in some ways, we already are part of it.

There are a number of ways in which the puppy world isn’t so different from the broader leather and fetish community. Ways that actually bring us into the circle. True, many of these are more subtle than we realize, but some are quantifiable. For starters, pup play is widely viewed as a kink or fetish, even if our individual definitions for being pups go beyond that. We flag our interests as pups in ways comparable to how leatherfolk communicate their interests. We use the same hanky code, just that ours often include chew toys or other pup-related items. For many of us, our fetish and kink interests include more than just puppy play, same as our brothers and sisters in the broader community. Our pup/handler relationships have a number of parallels to and overlaps with the D/s relationships found among some leatherfolk. Our gear interests are mirrored all throughout the wider community.

True, these commonalities are only a start, but they might help alleviate some of the sharper apprehensions among newer pups when it comes to the leather world. Because these are more than just similarities. These are the ways in which we already are part of the whole. And, if knowing that can ease concerns even if only slightly, it becomes that much easier to make the next step.

That step is learning to navigate the differences. And these are where both sides continue to come together, hopefully to learn and exchange ideas and to mutually grow.  Fortunately, all it takes is respect, patience, and a willingness to learn. There’s a lot that can be learned just by watching – and watching can often give rise to the questions we want to ask to understand better. There are a lot of excellent resources out there, in print or in person. Quite often the experiences of one can resonate with someone else and open entirely new vistas for growth. And the more we learn as individuals and share amongst ourselves as a group, the more we all learn and grow.

Do we, the puppy world, need to fit in? No, we don't need to fit in. But there are advantages to not being completely separate. Again, many of our roots lie in the leather world, even if the spirit of pup play itself has grown and taken on new depth over the years. However, there remains still a lot of misunderstanding of where we've come from and what we've become, and by being connected we can overcome that.  Many pups and handlers find their way to us through the leather & fetish community. Still, it’s just as important that we keep that identity which defines us as the puppy world. We can find a respected place in the broader scene, but we need to be respected just as much for who and what we are. Even if, over time, the two converge even more, we also need to always be proud of ourselves as pups.