Living as a 'Human Pup' Isn't Just a Fetish, but an Entire Lifestyle

A new documentary that debuted on the U.K.'s Channel 4 on Wednesday explores The Secret Life of Human Pups, men who live the life of a dog under the guidance of a handler or trainer. 

The documentary claims the subculture is 10,000 strong in the U.K. and that some members are ready to "go mainstream." Tom, aka Spot, a central figure in the show and Mr Puppy Europe contestant,  told the Guardian's Nell Frizzell that "puppy play is about more than just outfits and surface-level power games: it’s about being given license to behave in a way that feels natural, even primal."

The documentary explores the variety of pup play and the personalities of the men featured. And they are largely men. As Frizzell explains, "While the pup community is a broad church, 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'."

That's the case for Tom, whose gradual realization that he was a pup lead to the breakdown of his relationship with his fiancee Rachel, with whom he is still friends. He now lives with his handler Colin. He told the Guardian:

Tom appeared, as Spot, with his former fiancee on the U.K. morning show This Morning to talk about the show, revealing that he'd spent nearly $6,000 on the accoutrement of puppy-dom.

The sympathetic look at the lives of these men also digs into their varying reasons for coming to the lifestyle, including the simplicity of it for someone like Tom/Spot.

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

For Kaz, it's more a part of his identity, something he couldn't hide at his job.

"Even when I worked in PC World I would sometimes walk up to people and nip at their shirt."

It bears resemblance to communities like furries and BDSM, but it's not inherently sexual for many of the community members. Each has their own reason for living their puppy life, ranging from escapism to kink.

For Tom, he's looking for acceptance.

“It feels like you can be gay, straight, bisexual, trans and be accepted,” he told the Guardian. “All I want is for the pup community to be accepted in the same way. We’re not trying to cause grief to the public, or cause grief to relationships. We’re just the same as any other person on the high street.”