First Collar Training - Play

​Observe and Learn

There are a couple of do's and don't's for your early days in Puphood. They aren't to hard to follow if you're honest with yourself and your Owner/Trainer.

You will find yourself apprehensive about some things - will my tail go in? Will a hood fit me? What will my partner think?   On the other hand, the fun of being a pup is very hard to suppress, and you shouldn't. Don't let anxiety hold you back from enjoying expressing yourself as a pup, talk to your Trainer and let them guide you through the experience.  The urge to show off your puphood, to get out there and share in the feeling will be strong - do I post about it on Facebook? Can I tell my best friend? Should I go to a BDSM event in a hood with my tail?   DO number One is - Always talk with your Owner/Trainer about everything pup related. You're a beginner, an aspiring pup. Even if you've been around the block hundreds of times on a Mardi Gras Float for Gay Pride, you should put yourself firmly in beginner pup mode and talk and discuss pup matters with your Owner Trainer. 

​Photo care of C. Ingrey

Don't put your hood on, tail in, and go play. Not without your Owner Trainer present or at least without their consent. It's less about control - and let's not kid ourselves here, there is an element of control in most bdsm - rather it's more about the training process. If you want to make it to Second Collar, to be a Sirius Pup, you need to have some self discipline, some respect for your Owner and Trainer, and trust that the path ahead leads to results you both want. At the early stages of puphood it is easy to develop bad habits that are harder to break later, to be influenced by Masters and people who are unfamiliar or simply don't care about your pup training. So Don't number One is - Never play with your hood and tail with others without your Owner/Trainer there or their permission.  It's best to face your early play sessions with Alpha and the advanced pack members. Until that time, you do have someone you can play with as a pup at any time - your dog.

Play with your dog, not as a human ball throwing food bowl filling master, but as a fellow pup. Get on all fours. Don't bark, it can be confusing to a canine. Rather, watch your dogs body language from his or her eye level. See how the ears prick up? The tail rises? You are ready to play. Pounce, hide, rumble. Enjoy physical contact and not talking, not barking, just being with your canine. If you don't have a dog, lucky for you I have a doberman who loves playing with humans. The key is to observe your dog and learn. See how your canine behaves differently to you when you assume pup stances? Experiment with the positions and observe and learn.