There are pivotal moments in the development of a pup, and it's important to remember those and see how they affect the pup-that-is-now and how he grows into the pup-that-he-becomes. For us, that moment was a weekend full of moments in Dallas when we attended the International Puppy and Trainer Conference in Spetember 2009.
Luckey was learning and growing and playing, and we were adapting to a new person/pup in our lives. Playtime was between me and Luckey. Playing fetch, romping around the house, snuggles, scritchies, lots of lovey time. IPTC provided an opportunity to meet new pups, get some education, and MOSH. He was nervous, but I knew he would adapt. We arrived in Dallas after a frustrating flight and then argued with the hotel desk about our room, so the startup was a challenge. Chris and I went out to the bar for the welcome party, and Luckey had to stay at the hotel since he was still 20. We bought him a leather dog bone that night, and it travels with us everywhere now. (When we're not traveling, he hides it in my house to keep it safe.) The classes were great. The presenters knew their material. The people were fun and open and it felt like family. But then we hit the mosh pit. It took Luckey about 2 whole minutes to absorb the scene, decide what he wanted, and jump in with all four paws. This was before lunch on Saturday, and after an hour of play, we went to grab a bite to eat. He sat at the table, trying hard to eat and rebuild his strength, but he kept tipping to one side, falling asleep sitting up. He napped during the next class and was ready for the next mosh pit, even though his knees were a mess of blisters rubbed and blisters popped. Once the pup hit the floor, the knees didn't hurt anymore until he was out of headspace. After three mosh pits that weekend, his knees suffered greatly. We found new way to wrap and protect them, and we found that gummi bears are one of the safest treats for pups when allergies are present.
One moment, though, stands out. First mosh pit, the pup is just about ready to venture out on his own. I'm sitting with him on the mats, giving him love and encouragement, knowing that things are about to change. He's about to become a social pup, and I won't be the only play buddy he's got. His eyes told me he knew something big was coming. He nuzzled me, and then one long look full of love, some scritchies, and encouragement to "go play" launched him into a new chapter of puppyhood.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Know your limits
Nine-ish years ago, my boyfriend and I decided we wanted to explore the world of Leather and BDSM. So I talked to my friend who ran the local gay bookstore, and I shopped for books. I prowled the internet and read. We talked to some friends who were into these things. There was advise, warnings, encouragement. And in the years that followed, my bookshelf grew, my circle of friends expanded, and I've had a lot of fun. One thing stood out. One simple memory remains to this day, and I like to share it with kinksters new to the scene.
One of my SCA friends saw a kink book in my backpack at our monthly sewing class. She pulled me into the next room so we could talk privately, and shared her love for spanking petite gay boys and pony play and she quizzed me on what our plans were, where we were heading, our local contacts, and probably another 20 things I cannot remember. (My head was still trying to wrap around images of her in the pride parade in a chariot pulled by a team of ponygirls.) She took my hand and told me she wanted us to be safe and careful. She didn't want anything bad to happen to us, and there are a fair share of shady people in every community. Then she shared what was, in her words, "the best advise I ever got, and the only advise I pass on to new people." It stuck. So I'm passing it along to anyone who reads this, and after nine-ish years, it is valid.
The Best Advise I Ever Got
1. Find and respect your limits.
2. Don't play with people who don't respect your limits.
3. Expect your limits to change.
Things that made my stomach turn, made me shudder, made my inner voice scream "WTF!?" are now activities that I gladly share with others. Some things still make me squirm. But I've grown as a kinky person and these words still ring true.
One of my SCA friends saw a kink book in my backpack at our monthly sewing class. She pulled me into the next room so we could talk privately, and shared her love for spanking petite gay boys and pony play and she quizzed me on what our plans were, where we were heading, our local contacts, and probably another 20 things I cannot remember. (My head was still trying to wrap around images of her in the pride parade in a chariot pulled by a team of ponygirls.) She took my hand and told me she wanted us to be safe and careful. She didn't want anything bad to happen to us, and there are a fair share of shady people in every community. Then she shared what was, in her words, "the best advise I ever got, and the only advise I pass on to new people." It stuck. So I'm passing it along to anyone who reads this, and after nine-ish years, it is valid.
The Best Advise I Ever Got
1. Find and respect your limits.
2. Don't play with people who don't respect your limits.
3. Expect your limits to change.
Things that made my stomach turn, made me shudder, made my inner voice scream "WTF!?" are now activities that I gladly share with others. Some things still make me squirm. But I've grown as a kinky person and these words still ring true.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Why a puppy?
"He's your what?"
My puppy.
"I don't get it. What does a puppy do?"
What do four-legged puppies do?
"They sleep a lot. Play. Eat. Get into things. They're cute."
Exactly. That's what he does.
I've had that conversation more than once. Either it ends right there, or they really start to get curious. Eventually, the question is "Why a puppy?" and that answer is not so simple.
There are dog lovers, cat lovers, horse lovers, bird lovers, ferret lovers, and the list goes on and on.
I am a dog person. I enjoy the interactions, the companionship, the love, and the overall energy exchange between a loving and healthy canine/human relationship. I was blessed to share my home with my best friend who is also a dog person. Together, we shared the doggy-daddy duties for three wonderful four-legged children. Two of them have gone on ahead of us and the third now watches carefully over my god-daughter in another state. We laughed and cried and bonded with these companions, and they loved us. They left the pawprints on my heart that will never fade.
Things change. They always do. My best friend got married to a wonderful woman and they moved to another state. I found my wonderful partner and we are still growing and learning and loving life. And he is allergic to dogs. Not just a little. Asthma and allergies conspire to make his life miserable with very little exposure to dogs (and it's worse with cats). I love him dearly. And I'm still a dog person. So I learned to get my puppy fix with other people's dogs - down on the floor, rolling around, making a general fool of myself - and I couldn't be happier. Then it's time to shower and change clothes and then I could be with my boyfriend again.
In 2008, we were travelling quite a bit in the Leather community, and I came in contact with some very sweet boys who identified as ...puppies. I asked questions. Lots of questions. I learned everything I could learn. I began to really want a puppy. So, I put it out to the universe. I bought food and water bowls that I could fit my face into, a few toys that didn't taste nasty and would fit into my mouth, and I put them in the corner of my dining room. Waiting....
In 2009, I met a young man online and we eventually met for dinner. (I'm in an open relationship, so this was not unusual behaviour.) We met again at my house and were hanging out, enjoying the time, when I excused myself to go downstairs to move the laundry from washer to dryer. When I returned upstairs, I rounded the corner into the kitchen and froze. He was on his hands and knees with his face in the dog bowl. Picked up a toy in his mouth, shook it, tossed it, went for another. After all the toys were scattered, he turned to look for them, saw me, and froze. There was a little panic in his eyes. I extended a hand, spoke softly, and took a step forward. He didn't run or stand up. Eventually, the puppy and I made contact. I was sniffed. I gave ear scritchies. And we played. When he was worn out, he curled up with his head in my lap. Eventually, we started talking about what just happened. He's never done that before. We'd never talked about puppy play. It just came together.
Now it's 2012, and we are representing and educating and my boyfriend is still breathing.
My puppy.
"I don't get it. What does a puppy do?"
What do four-legged puppies do?
"They sleep a lot. Play. Eat. Get into things. They're cute."
Exactly. That's what he does.
I've had that conversation more than once. Either it ends right there, or they really start to get curious. Eventually, the question is "Why a puppy?" and that answer is not so simple.
There are dog lovers, cat lovers, horse lovers, bird lovers, ferret lovers, and the list goes on and on.
I am a dog person. I enjoy the interactions, the companionship, the love, and the overall energy exchange between a loving and healthy canine/human relationship. I was blessed to share my home with my best friend who is also a dog person. Together, we shared the doggy-daddy duties for three wonderful four-legged children. Two of them have gone on ahead of us and the third now watches carefully over my god-daughter in another state. We laughed and cried and bonded with these companions, and they loved us. They left the pawprints on my heart that will never fade.
Things change. They always do. My best friend got married to a wonderful woman and they moved to another state. I found my wonderful partner and we are still growing and learning and loving life. And he is allergic to dogs. Not just a little. Asthma and allergies conspire to make his life miserable with very little exposure to dogs (and it's worse with cats). I love him dearly. And I'm still a dog person. So I learned to get my puppy fix with other people's dogs - down on the floor, rolling around, making a general fool of myself - and I couldn't be happier. Then it's time to shower and change clothes and then I could be with my boyfriend again.
In 2008, we were travelling quite a bit in the Leather community, and I came in contact with some very sweet boys who identified as ...puppies. I asked questions. Lots of questions. I learned everything I could learn. I began to really want a puppy. So, I put it out to the universe. I bought food and water bowls that I could fit my face into, a few toys that didn't taste nasty and would fit into my mouth, and I put them in the corner of my dining room. Waiting....
In 2009, I met a young man online and we eventually met for dinner. (I'm in an open relationship, so this was not unusual behaviour.) We met again at my house and were hanging out, enjoying the time, when I excused myself to go downstairs to move the laundry from washer to dryer. When I returned upstairs, I rounded the corner into the kitchen and froze. He was on his hands and knees with his face in the dog bowl. Picked up a toy in his mouth, shook it, tossed it, went for another. After all the toys were scattered, he turned to look for them, saw me, and froze. There was a little panic in his eyes. I extended a hand, spoke softly, and took a step forward. He didn't run or stand up. Eventually, the puppy and I made contact. I was sniffed. I gave ear scritchies. And we played. When he was worn out, he curled up with his head in my lap. Eventually, we started talking about what just happened. He's never done that before. We'd never talked about puppy play. It just came together.
Now it's 2012, and we are representing and educating and my boyfriend is still breathing.
True confession
I'll freely admit that I have a desire to plan out a series of posts encompassing my thoughts and views, sharing bits of my personal history, philosophy, educational plans, history tidbits, pictures of puppies, travel plans, titleholder insights, blah blah blah....all in a carefully ordered series so I don't seem to be too focused on any one thing and get boring. No, really. That's what I want to do. It's part of what I want to share - all that fun stuff. And it will all be carefully scripted, meticulously edited, and ultimately...sterile. Any spontaneity will be smothered with that approach, and it will not be fun. So, in the spirit of freshness, I start with my confession. And I'm not going back and editing a single sentence once I start the next one. I'll admit, it's a little rough.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
All journeys begin with the first step
Hi there.
Here's a brief intro to who I am and why I'm here now.
My name is Don, I'm 46, and I am a Leatherman. My boy and my pup call me Daddy, but I don't expect anybody else to do that unless we're close.
My boy is boy chris, and we are in our 9th year together. My pup is Pup Luckey and we are in our 4th year together. I love them dearly.
In September 2012, Pup Luckey and I traveled to Tulsa, OK, to compete in the newly renewed International Puppy and Trainer Contest. It was a fantastic experience, and we won the titles.
So, for the next year, we'll be traveling, educating, visiting, and sharing the FUN of human puppy interactions with our kinky family. Part of the education will happen here - I'll share some of my thoughts and ideas about human puppy/trainer interactions, and we'll have other opportunities to share at the events we visit through the year.
That's a wrap for the first post, and I'll be back soon!
Here's a brief intro to who I am and why I'm here now.
My name is Don, I'm 46, and I am a Leatherman. My boy and my pup call me Daddy, but I don't expect anybody else to do that unless we're close.
My boy is boy chris, and we are in our 9th year together. My pup is Pup Luckey and we are in our 4th year together. I love them dearly.
In September 2012, Pup Luckey and I traveled to Tulsa, OK, to compete in the newly renewed International Puppy and Trainer Contest. It was a fantastic experience, and we won the titles.
So, for the next year, we'll be traveling, educating, visiting, and sharing the FUN of human puppy interactions with our kinky family. Part of the education will happen here - I'll share some of my thoughts and ideas about human puppy/trainer interactions, and we'll have other opportunities to share at the events we visit through the year.
That's a wrap for the first post, and I'll be back soon!
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