Even if you'd call yourself fairly kinky already, one fetish might still catch you off guard: pet play. It spans everything from lighthearted fun to intense BDSM. Not every kinkster is drawn to it, but if setting aside your humanity — or training your own "animal" — sounds appealing, read on to learn what animal roleplay actually involves.

Pet play is a specialized branch of roleplay (get inspired to role play with your man) where someone acts out, and typically dresses as, a chosen animal. Usually the submissive takes on the animal role and wears the matching gear, while the dominant becomes the owner or trainer. This kind of roleplay generally unfolds within an erotic power exchange dynamic (discover how to have a functional D/s relationship). Some accessories work fine solo, but having a trainer or owner figure makes the experience much richer.

On the flip side, if you're the dominant, having a submissive lets you satisfy that urge to "own" a pet and shape their behavior however you like.

Read more: How to Dominate Your Man

The Main Types of Pet Play

The three most established categories are:

• Pony play
• Kitten play
• Puppy play

These get the most attention and have the widest range of dedicated gear. Each carries its own personality expectations: ponies (ponygirls or ponyboys) tend to be showy and highly trained, puppies are playful and can pick up simple tricks, and kittens lean affectionate and drowsy.

That said, other animal types exist too — wolf, fox, rabbit, even pig gear is out there for the trying. You'll just need to get a bit more resourceful to make those work.

Each animal type comes loaded with its own expectations. A puppy or kitten is generally expected to be affectionate and cuddly, with a playful (occasionally mischievous) streak. Pony play, meanwhile, leans more toward physical labor and sometimes mimics a horse's restricted peripheral vision through specific gear.

Gear For Animal Roleplay

We've referenced gear a few times already — but what does that actually mean here? Most pet play enthusiasts rely on costumes and accessories to slip into character and stay there. These pieces often double as a form of bondage, frequently modeled directly on real animal restraint gear.

Collars, tails (commonly a butt plug fitted with a matching animal tail), and ears show up across nearly every form of pet play. Wrist guards and kneepads are also useful for any pet moving around on all fours.

While some gear crosses over between types, most items are picked specifically for the animal in question — puppies, kittens, and ponies each wear distinct ear and tail styles. Kitten gear also tends toward a softer, more feminine look (lace, bows, pink), while puppy and pony gear leans into a classic BDSM leather aesthetic.

Puppy and pony play both have deeper equipment lists; kitten gear is comparatively sparse. Mittens or paw gloves are common, along with metal claw attachments for a mischievous kitten.

Puppy play gear might include:

• Bits — gags that you bite down on
• Cones – like the medical cones pets wear after surgery
• Masks or hoods – shaped like a dogs head
• Harnesses – to go around the chest
• Mitts and boots – shaped like paws
• Muzzles – to cover the mouth
• Bodysuits – usually latex and patterned like a dog
• Cock sheaths – like a hollow dildo shaped like a dog's penis that fits over a human's genitals

That last item ties into a toy that's especially associated with puppy play: dog dildos. Furries use them too, though the two kinks don't necessarily overlap.

Pony play gear can include:

• Tongue ties – keep the tongue tied below the bit
• Tongue ports – worn behind the bit to hold the tongue down; cause drooling
• Bits – a bar that is placed in the ponies mouth to control it.
• Bridles – the straps worn around the muzzle/face and head
• Saddles – for sitting on the pony
• Blinders – block peripheral vision
• Polos/wraps – like legwarmers for horse ankles
• Hooves – boots or gloves in hoof shapes
• Harnesses
• Bodysuits
• Hobbles – cuffs worn above the hooves to prevent mobility
• Martingales – a strap worn between bridle and harness

As you can tell, pony gear (or "tack") is by far the most extensive and priciest category, and unlike other pet types, nearly all of it mirrors genuine equestrian equipment.

Whatever animal you're drawn to, the amount of restraint involved is entirely up to you. A puppy in a full bodysuit plus harness is quite thoroughly bound; a hobbled pony is far more restricted than a kitten wearing nothing but ears, a tail, and a collar.

Any of this can be layered with standard cuffs or specialty items like shoe locks, which keep someone locked into high heels. Heavy bondage isn't required for pet play — it's simply an option some people enjoy adding.

Curious about restraint gear generally? Check out this piece on bondage devices.

Additional Props

A handful of other props help sustain the fantasy during pet play: a jockey might use crops, whips, and spurs to train a pony, or you might take your puppy out on a leash. Food and water bowls suit puppies and kittens well. A crate offers a place for a pet to settle down or reflect on a lesson, while others prefer their own bed or tent. You can also shop for pet toys — they don't need to be BDSM-branded at all; an actual pet store run can turn up some great finds.

How Pets Behave During A Scene

Animal roleplay blends training, bonding, and occasionally physical tasks. Behavior shifts based on the scene and the animal chosen. Purring, meowing, barking, biting, and scratching are all fair game depending on the pet. Kittens might lap milk from a bowl, curl up at their owner's feet, or groom themselves. Puppies might fetch or walk on a leash. Owners sometimes keep a pet restrained or caged during sex and discipline.

Pony play tends to be the most elaborate, with ponies sorted into distinct roles:

• Cart ponies pull carts or similar loads to move people or goods, often showing off at kink events — sometimes even harnessed as a team.
• Riding ponies carry a rider on their back, sometimes with a saddle, and need enough grace and balance to keep that rider seated.
• Show ponies dress in elaborate costumes and train in gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), jumping, and dressage — just like real horses. Dressage ponies zero in specifically on that last discipline.
• Bondage ponies get tied into positions like the hogtie without performing any tricks.
• Breeding ponies engage in sex with each other during a scene, sometimes involving a strap-on and horse-shaped dildo. Dig deeper into the breeding kink.
• Work horses may be tasked with carrying a rider and tend to be especially athletic.
• Pleasure ponies have sex with their owners — other pony types can double as pleasure ponies too.
• Service pups take on chores.

Grooming

Petting, cleaning, and brushing all count as grooming during a scene. Grooming a pony takes more effort than grooming a puppy or kitten, but bonding through grooming works for any pet.

Pony grooming specifically involves tying up your pony and flicking a stiff brush across their body, then switching to a softer brush with even, steady pressure. Brush the mane gently to avoid damaging it, and treat the tail the same way — a butt plug tail can pop loose if you brush too roughly.

Wiping a pony down with a soft towel makes a nice way to open or close a scene.

Training Your Pet

Once your gear is sorted, training comes next.

Training means teaching your pet exactly what a given command means. Just like teaching a dog to sit, stay, roll over, or fetch, animal roleplay follows the same logic — though your human pet can grasp far more nuance.

Training might cover leash walking (leading), holding a pose, moving in a particular way, staying tied while you work on him, housebreaking, or completing chores. Dedicated pet play sites list common commands for kittens (sit pretty, paws up, expose, belly up, knead, crawl, hunt, groom, etc.), puppies (present, kneel, all fours, away, down, mount, kennel, snuggle, stand, stay, up, watch), and ponies (whoa, walk, trot, gallop, canter, back, easy, stand, wait, etc). Ponies can also respond to clucking or kissing sounds to pick up speed.

Give the command, let your pet attempt to interpret it, then correct their posture or behavior until it matches what you expect. Some commands take more repetition to land than others.

The owner is responsible for teaching each behavior to the standard they expect before rewarding the pet. The more precisely you phrase your commands, the faster your pet will understand, learn, and repeat them.

Rewards And Discipline

A well-behaved pet earns treats (sex and affection often count), while a misbehaving one faces consequences. Caging or confinement, already mentioned above, is one common training and discipline tool. Person-sized cages are available to buy, but safety has to stay front of mind — extended confinement or bondage, particularly in tight spaces, risks cramps, injuries like nerve, joint, or tendon damage, and emotional strain.

On that note, don't skip your safe word — it's one of our 8 rules for BDSM safety. Aftercare matters no matter what your BDSM play involves.

Read: The Complete Guide to BDSM Aftercare

Done properly, a pet can spend the night in a crate, but they still need a way to signal the trainer if they need the bathroom or something's wrong.

While punishment sounds purely negative, it's actually the positive reinforcement and sense of being cared for that draws a lot of people into the pet role. Playing pet offers an escape from everyday stress and responsibility. That said, discipline and training can also fold in humiliation and degradation, which some people specifically seek out.

Discover 200+ kinks and fetishes in this post.

Training pets and teaching tricks reinforces their role further. You might, for example, train a kitten to eat from a dish — just stick to human-safe foods, since actual pet food isn't meant for people. Tuna, milk, and soup work well for bowl-feeding, while cereal makes a fine stand-in for kibble and small crackers work as treats.

Still, just like real pets, love and affection tend to matter more as a reward than anything else — and sexual favors work well as a reward during pet play too. Particularly well-trained or attractive pets sometimes get shown off at parties or clubs (another trainer might test a "dog's" skills, or ponies might compete against each other). Just be mindful about public displays, which can make strangers uncomfortable or run afoul of local laws.

Contracts

If pet play appeals to you, a BDSM contract could be a smart addition. It spells out expectations, safe words, and other considerations that come up as you learn BDSM, keeping both partners aligned regardless of who's playing the pet.

Learn more about BDSM contracts.

Finding A Partner

Naturally, you need a partner before you can draft that contract. Finding one for pet play might be easier than expected — Craigslist ads, social platforms like Tumblr, or dedicated adult sites like FetLife are all common routes for meeting interested partners. Finding someone who wants the exact same flavor of pet play, though, can take a bit more searching.

Pet play is just one entry in a much wider catalog of BDSM role play scenarios. Many couples are drawn to the structure and power exchange these dynamics offer, plus the added fun of props and gear.

Here's 43 kinky role playing ideas for better sex.

November 20, 2020