Most pups and handlers that I’ve met this year have strong,
distinctive personalities. Both are diverse in their approaches to sexuality, gender, behavior, and
socialization. In fact, many gravitate
towards pup play as a way of unleashing long-dormant or stifled parts of one’s character,
or “pup-sonality”. Yet, in the past few
years, pups have come together in increasingly formal organizations, locally,
regionally, nationally, and internationally.
As the first IPC International Puppy, I received my title in November of
2013 with my organization’s stated goals of expanding across North America,
into Europe, and beyond.
Building an organization, in which a mutually shared interest
must supersede individual agendas, requires a mitigation of personalities in
favor of negotiation and collaboration, establishing a visible community. Through social media, pups and handlers have
recently come together in ways never before explored. From bar nights and smaller leather festivals
to IML, individuals are not only identifying themselves as pups and/or handlers,
but also by pack membership, elective offices, and titles, all indicative of a current,
broader desire to “give back” to the puppy community.
With that in mind, I asked leaders around the country to
participate in a qualitative survey, the purpose of which is to identify major
issues prevalent to pup-and-handler organizing during this time of dramatic
growth in the human puppy world. The
groups sampled, while not scientific, do represent a cross-section of current
pup groups in the United States and Canada, having originated between 2004 and 2013
with current membership ranging from 7-100. The groups range from individually owned or
founder-run social clubs, or “packs”, to educational and community
organizations with elected boards and non-profit status. Those surveyed, all founding members, were
invited to participate based on their perceived leadership and presence in the
larger community, judged by factors including: online presence (group websites,
or participation in online social fora), attendance at leather and kink events,
involvement in organizations or competitions, and earned titles. Return rate on
the survey questionnaire was 67%, a strong response rate for any survey.
“Do
we need a new pack in my area?”
Pups and handlers are coming out in quickly
increasing numbers. Online social media,
including Facebook and FetLife, and podcasts such as “NoSafeWord,” are making
it possible for sexual minority communities to form bonds across states,
regions, and increasingly, the world.
Those who were previously isolated due to geographic location, a desire
for anonymity, or shyness, are now functioning, if not leading, parts of the
puppy world. The reach of Minneapolis’s
new “North Star Kennel Club” extending beyond city boundaries is a prime
example. Founder, Pup Dakota, describes,
“We have a large amount of pups/handlers in the area, many have
little or no resources and there was no place to play in real time or
virtually.”
Puppies are typically,
though not universally, more submissive.
They often pair with a dominant partner, (usually referred to as a
handler, owner, or trainer) and establish a unique relationship that blurs the
boundaries of typical Master/slave dynamics, much like the relationship of a
real, or “bio”, dog to its family.
Still, there is plenty of traditional leather, even “old-guard,” spirit
in much of the pup community. In that
vein, the simplest way to form a new pack may be for a “Sir” or an “Alpha”
(leader) pup to gather a group of friendly faces and declare a new “pack.” Such is the case with Cleveland’s “Pups
Against Animal Cruelty” (PAAC), founded by current Mr. Cleveland Leather, Sir
Ben Feathers. As he states it, Sir Ben
“…wanted a place for pups to be themselves and able to play…in a friendly
environment.” The Mid-Atlantic Kennel Korps (MAKK), headed by founding member Pup Tripp, also has more traditional origins as
an outgrowth of the DC Boys of Leather.
More broadly, the first step
in founding any new organization is finding a core group, usually 4-8 members,
that: 1.) Believe strongly in the cause, 2.) Are committed to attending events,
and 3.) Share tasks. Papa Woof Roth,
founder of the St. Louis Puppy Patrol, Producer of Midwest Puppy, and
Co-Producer of IPC International Puppy, puts
it simply: “My pup and I wanted to have others to hang out with.”
Whether that core group remains a
social club or expands into a more diverse organization depends on the group’s
dynamics and vision and the character of the local community. Pup Figaro, current
Northwest Puppy and founder of Vancouver Pups and Handlers (VAN-PAH), had to search
for his core membership, having recently moved to the area from San
Francisco. He recalls, “It took a bit of
digging over several years to find a core group of pups to start doing social
things. Then we graduated to having monthly moshes. We are getting bigger every
mosh.” VAN-PAH now reports 40
members. In Minneapolis, Pup Dakota used
Facebook to create a private “North Star Kennel Club Leadership Group” to
engage his core team and supporters before the group had even officially
launched.
Every group seems to rely on
a regular, public (or “bar”) night for visibility, fundraising, and to bolster
numbers. Therefore, a community
relationship with likeminded individuals and local business owners is still
essential. While online media may
introduce potential pups and handlers to a larger community, personal
connections are ultimately needed to sustain one’s identity. Pup Tuck, founding member of the venerable
San Francisco (SF) K9 Unit, the oldest and largest of pup groups, recalls Pup
Spunky’s search for camaraderie in 2004:
“…It seemed that the only place he
could find [pups] was on a very few social websites. As much fun as those sites
were, Spunky wanted to create something more intimate—a pack bonded by
brotherhood. As a result, he met with men who lived in the San Francisco Bay
Area to see if there might be an interest in creating a local social group.
Rowdy Pup was one of the first who responded and together they created the SF
K9 Unit.”
By
creating a new bar night, accompanied by the distinctly visible antics of pups
and puppy play, pups and handlers have the power to transform and enliven the
ailing leather bar scene. Pup Vidhra,
founding member of Cincinnati’s “Ruff Pups CNKY,” relies on a regular bar night
to keep the group active and visible. He
recalls, “I founded Ruff Pups because I was new to the puppy world and wanted
to meet more pups when I moved back to Cincinnati. Since then we've become a
catalyst to help bring the local leather community back out to the bars." The same could be said of the Calgary Kinky
Kennel Club (CKKC), headed by Pup Berith (not surveyed here), which I recently
did an appearance and demo for. Both
groups, using their bar night as a foundation on which to build, are now
discussing expansion into the areas of leadership (through a Board of
Directors), education, fundraising, and other event planning.
“Are
we a club or an organization?”
The
larger groups (reporting 40+ members currently) are all
engaged in an ongoing process of assessing the need for an
organizational
structure that benefits the particular membership of the pack. These
needs include whether to have officers,
a board, non-profit status, and annual elections. The smaller groups
(reporting 10 or fewer
members) function more like social clubs and are often led by a founding
member, having been so for a number of years.
Since most pup groups around the country are only a few years old and
many are growing in dynamic ways, there exists the recurring question
of how to openly reflect member interests while accomplishing goals
quickly and
easily. When membership is limited to a
handful of pups and handlers, a founding member may offer the passion
and
dedication to keep the group active. Likewise,
limited membership may reflect limited organizational talent.
Organizing is difficult, often thankless, and
requires specific abilities. Having a
founder as leader may provide comfort and consistency from year to
year. Papa Woof Roth, states “It’s advantageous
[for a group] to be led by someone [who has] organizational and planning
skills, [and is] also able to mediate and make an unbiased decision, if
needed.”
When, though, is an individual personality or founding group
not enough to engage a growing, diverse membership? Pup Dakota suggested a goal-driven narrative
that seemed to be common to many groups: “I think that to start out,
it's best to be led by a leader or small group of leaders…perhaps someday if
the goals and reach of the club go beyond 4-6 moshes [per] year and occasional
social events, we will explore a more formal governance structure and take on
our own financial matters.” North Star
allows anyone to become a member informally by joining the Facebook page or
attending an event. The option exists of
becoming a supporting member for a one-time $20 fee and includes a membership
pin. Given that the group only began a
few months ago and is now reporting 75 members, North Star has demonstrated an
effective strategy for attracting broad interest early on, a significant
challenge for any pup group.
Limited governance allows groups an ease of organization,
limited meetings, and the ability to act quickly to respond to member
interests; however, when a group reaches a critical mass, it may be impossible
for one owner or small founding group to adequately address the diversity of
needs and sustain the activities required.
Pup Gadget, founder of Seattle’s SEA-PAH, perhaps the most formally
organized group in this survey, reflects, “As it grew
and became larger, we needed to delegate various tasks to various people and
thus we decided to form a board of directors.” SEA-PAH is a larger group with 60 members
paying dues of $25 per year. Among most
of the groups, large or small, there is a common stated goal of remaining
dynamic to address changing member needs and interests. Pup Tuck reinforces the need for dynamic
leadership in assessing, “New members are coming in
all the time who might not be aware of the history of the pack and it's
important to take their comfort level into account.”
“Do
we want to file as a 501(c)(3)?”
Perhaps the ultimate goal in terms of financial
organization is the establishment of “non-profit” status. The Mid-Atlantic Kennel Corps is somewhat of
an outlier in this survey, reporting a smaller membership (8) but with elected
officers and 501(c)(3) status. Founding member Pup Tripp comments, “Having designated officers
allows for streamlining of necessary business so as to keep the focus on the
social and educational aspects.
Non-profit status allows us a checking account and the ability to offer
our fundraisers as a tax deduction to contributors.” The process, while not difficult, can be
burdensome in terms of time and cost. Pup
Gadget describes the process SEA-PAH is currently engaged in:
“First you file with the state, then with all local
municipalities, then with the federal government. Getting the Articles of Incorporation is step
one. Developing bylaws that will provide
a basic outline of the organization that can be understood by…government
agencies is important…Developing a handbook to work from to govern day-to-day
operations is also important…There are many different types of non-profit
statuses that can be applied for…Each has their own unique advantages and
disadvantages. Going for a 501(c)(3) can
be advantageous if your primary goal is fundraising and education. A 501(c)(7) may be more advantageous for a
group that wants to remain a social organization.”
Whether to commit the substantial resources required to obtain
non-profit status depends on the expressed goals of each organization. As Pup Figaro remarks, “It will depend on the group’s feelings…I think it may be
wise once the group gets a little more established for mutual protection and so
that we can do more work for and with other local organizations.” As puppy groups, most in their infancy still
(less than two years old), continue to grow, formal questions such as whether
to file for non-profit status will become increasingly present. Through increased communication between
groups, these processes may be eased, enabling more to participate in benefits,
such as tax-deductible donations.
What
should our group do?
Once a group is established, the question looms: “How do we
sustain and develop this energy?” Among
those surveyed, the top responses to having a successful pup group were: strong
communication and listening, participation and growth, community, and
education. Mentioned rarely were:
organization, energy, events, and fun.
This can be interpreted not to mean that the topics mentioned least are
of the least importance; but, rather, that these topics are already being
adequately addressed. The topics
foremost on leaders’ minds are likely those that are key challenges, those for
which there may not be simple answers and dynamic, creative thinking are
required. It is clear that all groups
surveyed are clearly organized, have regular events, and attract a membership
that is interested in having fun. How
can these expected elements be more thoroughly explored through dynamic
membership, inclusivity, fellowship, and education?
Firstly,
as Pup Figaro suggests, it is a good idea for the pup
group to orient itself “…where the pups are.”
Through online profiles, joint events with other leather and kink
groups, venues and activities that are inclusive, and events other than
moshes
and bar nights, such as competitions and social gatherings, a broad
membership
can be reached successfully. There is
also a virtual consensus that, while finding the right amount of
organizational
structure for one’s particular group may be a challenge, it is well
worth the discussion. Too much organization can become draining with
excessive meetings and bureaucratic procedures; however, having one
person or a
small, unchanging group in charge, while convenient, does not allow for
enough
delegation or collective ownership to be healthy over time. As with
their leather counterparts, puppy
organizations must foster both open communication between leaders and
membership while instilling a sense of fellowship, encouragement, and
acceptance between all individuals.
Because of the intensely personal nature of the journey to puppyhood and
puppy handling, and the public nature of these organizations, the latter
may be
even more important. Finally, while a
number of the groups cited gender and sexual orientation as points of
inclusivity, none mentioned age, race, body type, physical ability,
educational
background, or socio-economic status as potentially inclusive categories
when
planning events, selecting venues, or assessing cost. Given the highly
physical nature of pup play
and the broad cross-section of demographics in the kink world, group
leaders
may be able to expand diversity and membership by considering
inclusivity along
more dimensions.
With two international title organizations now active,
International Pups and Handlers (IPAH), and International Puppy Competition
(IPC), puppy titleholders, local, regional, and beyond are beginning to
appear. By the end of the year, I, for
example, will have appeared with all of these groups in one form or
another. Titleholders are charged with
representing the puppy community in a positive manner. Visibility is an obvious benefit from
inviting a titleholder to demonstrate, fundraise, or speak on puppy play. Photos and puppy awareness were cited as
benefits. The rapid growth of the
community demands increased travel and support for titleholders, both financially
and otherwise. As in the leather
communities, titleholders are often expected to “fund themselves” with limited
support from their organizations.
Further, when deciding on events to appear at, titleholders would be
well advised to consider the areas of need on organizers’ minds, namely:
education, participation, and inclusiveness.
Rather than simply appearing at a typical event for play and recreation,
titleholders can make a difference in these areas by the quality of information
and demonstrations they prepare and by the individual bonds they are able to make
with local group members. Organizations,
contest judges, and community leaders should be aware of the acute needs that
titleholders can address and promote these representatives accordingly.
What challenges
will our group likely face?
Each pup group listed distinct challenges reflective of
membership, geography, local culture, and available venues; however; virtually all of the groups mentioned a
significant challenge as being “participation.”
This was listed both as a problem of participants attending events, but
also of volunteers’ willingness to work at events. The problem was also reported across smaller
and larger groups. Pup Tuck actually
reported the seeming paradox that, while SF K9 Unit is perhaps growing “too
large,” so does it have a problem “getting volunteers.” Here, it is apparent the importance of
camaraderie and fellowship among group members.
It is likely that as SF K9 Unit has grown, some have felt, falsely, that
“others” will volunteer to take on events; a shroud of anonymity has set in and
the group may suffer from malaise. SF K9
Unit is discussing solutions to combat this problem, including: expansion of
activities throughout the year, increasing presence of the group at leather
events, establishing a volunteer scholarship, and attempting a first-ever
conference on puppy play. MAKK is following a similar strategy of increased
activities and member inclusiveness to address participation, including hosting
next year’s first Mid-Atlantic Puppy Contest (IPC), defining membership
benefits, and engaging newer members to take a leadership role in event
planning. IPC itself has established a
traveling “Good Puppy Award” to recognize individuals that show puppy spirit through
behavior, volunteerism, and dedication to their community at events around the
country.
The winner of the first IPC "Bill (Trooper) Boyd Best in Show Award," Pup
Gadget, reports that SEA-PAH is also concerned with a lack of appropriate space
in Seattle, particularly in welcoming communities, such as traditionally gay
Capitol Hill. He reports, “SEA-PAH has been partnering with local businesses and
organizations in the Capitol Hill community to find suitable mosh spaces for…growing
membership…With the membership base expanding, we are finding it a little
easier to get more members to participate in events. That, coupled with putting on events
suggested by our members seems to have been impacting our ‘staffing’ needs at
events.” Space requirements pose a
difficult challenge for puppy play.
Rooms must be large and well ventilated with plenty of water and even
EMT’s on hand for potential accidents.
MAKK’s Pup Tripp offers yet
another challenge: what if the local leather bar is closing, temporarily or
permanently? The call must be put out to
members, friends, and supporters, to find alternative venues, including private
homes. Portland’s Oregon Puppy (not
surveyed here) recently had a successful first-time event at “HawksPDX,” a
spacious, well maintained, gear and kink-friendly sex club downtown.
Only one group, North Star Kennel Club, reported that
closeted members pose a challenge. Pup
Dakota believes that the club’s “two-tiered” membership structure (discussed
above) provides members the ability to participate at their own comfort levels,
while also placing closeted pups in close proximity with more established pups
who may serve as role models. The
prevalence of closeted identities is difficult to assess in terms of numbers,
but may be an area of challenge underrepresented in this survey. All pups surveyed here are well-known leaders
in their communities, and yet, even here, some remain “closeted” at work due to
fear of repercussions. Depending on
their group’s stated mission, leaders may want to discuss further how they might
encourage, comfort, and educate those who are closeted, younger, or less experienced.
Aren’t
we really doing more here than just “playing?”
By organizing, we posit that our lives will be more
fulfilled, more meaningful, and more fun if we join together in play,
celebration, and common cause, than if we remain isolated. Those who organize are willing to put some of
their personal agenda aside in the hopes that puppy play will connect in deeper
ways when visible as a collective entity.
When puppy play is realized as a kink, we go one step further, boldly
(and perhaps, subversively) suggesting that sexuality, if not the sex act
itself, is ultimately more gratifying when shared, physically animated, at some
level, with others. As kinksters, pups
demonstrate that sexuality is, foremost, a matter of the mind and of finding
shared meaning in behavior. In sum, pups
and handlers are joining together to bring forth radical truths into stark,
public visibility! It is no wonder that
so many have relied on puppy organizations, classes, demonstrations, and
mentors for support and guidance during their own, often dramatic, personal
journeys into puppyhood. The
organization of pups and handlers is a delicate balancing act that must reflect
the particular needs and diversity of each community while realizing that any
group is only as strong as is its membership.
Groups can only achieve
sustainability when a diverse, dynamic membership is willing to continually endorse
and promote its stated goals.
WOOF
~Axel
Thank
you to Papa Woof Roth, Pup Dakota, Pup Gadget, Pup Figaro, Pup Tuck,
Pup Vidhra and Sir Ben Feathers for their participation in this
project. Where applicable, you will find links to their respective
organizations on the menu bar at the right.
No comments:
Post a Comment