Pup Days Ch. 02

Chapter 2 - Steve/Pup Zeus

*****

Steve shrugged out of his clothes, placing them on the bench in front of him. Like the rest of the facility, the changing room was warm, but the process of undressing in a public place made a shiver run up his spine.

'Nervous?' Mark asked, who was also undressing along the bench. They had a private changing room so their voices echoed off the sparse walls; the hustle and bustle of the other parts of the building were shut out.

'A little,' Steve replied, standing naked as he combed through a pile of pup gear he had to place on himself, not knowing where to start. He decided on a jockstrap, lifting a leg into the gaps in the material, followed by the other, and pulling them up to his junk where they cupped him snuggly and curved his round butt.

'Don't be. It's your first official week of pup training. I'm sure everyone else feels that way,' Mark reassured him, pulling on some leather pants.

Although he was excited to be a pup, Steve slightly envied Mark's less revealing outfit. Shaking his head to throw off his anxieties, he pulled on a green pup hood, his favourite colour. The emerald green of the muzzle and ears was alluring. His eyes sparkled just from gazing upon the material. It was a welcoming feeling, the tight neoprene wrapping around his head.

'Yeah, I get you,' Steve fiddled with a leather collar. 'I guess I just want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.'

'Let me help,' Mark came over and helped his boyfriend loop the thick black leather collar around his neck, securing the latch into place as the notch sat securely in the leather. 'Comfy?' he asked.

'Yes, it's perfect, thanks,' Steve said, looking through the holes in the pup hood and adjusting the collar, looking even more like a pup as the gear went on.

'Handsome puppy,' Mark cooed and rubbed his boyfriend's head.

Steve closed his eyes and leaned into his partner's hand.

'Well you know there's no pressure; that's what the lessons are for. Go at your own pace and if you want to tap out or need a break at any stage, just say so,' Mark brought them back to the conversation.

'I know. It definitely won't be as intense as the sub training. We actually get to go home after each session and it's focussing strictly on being a pup. Plus I get to experience it with you,' Steve hugged Mark, who would also be training, but in the role of a handler instead. 'But, yeah. I suppose I'm just nervous about if I'll be any good at it. You know how I find pup play really hot so I want to be able to do it right and not mess it up,' Steve babbled, as he always did when he was nervous. 'Mind helping with these?'

Mark finished pulling on a t-shirt that said 'Handler' that sat nicely on his built figure and gave a hand to his partner who was failing to get some mitts on his hands. 'You know you're going to be the best pup,' he slipped the mitts on Steve's hands, securing them with the buckles.

'Sorry, intrusive thoughts,' Steve apologised and waved his mitts. 'Begone!' he laughed.

'Anyway,' Mark pulled on leather boots onto his feet. 'If you're a bad pup and don't do your lessons I'll spank you,' he grinned slyly.

'Is that a promise or a threat?'

'We'll see,' Mark left it ambiguous as he grabbed a tail plug and lubed it up. 'Time for your tail,' he motioned for Steve to bend over and he slowly pressed it against the other man's hole, coaxed the sphincter to relax and take in the bulbous plug.

'Ah,' Steve moaned as the plug found itself home inside him.

'Good, boy,' Mark petted his butt. 'Want to see yourself ... pup Zeus,' Mark called his boyfriend by the pup name Steve had chosen for himself; his love of Greek mythology clearly an influence.

Zeus heard the name for the first time in his ears and it felt right. Something about the inflection and the way the letters rolled off the tongue made him feel like that had always been destined to be his pup name.

The pup walked over to the full-length mirror and looked at his reflection: it was the built body of Steve that stood before him, almost nude save a jockstrap, but the gear brought Zeus to life. The gear didn't make him a pup, but merely brought out the pup from within him, so he could quantify his pup self on a visual level. The emerald green hood with its muzzle and pointy ears gave him his pup face. He turned it from side to side and shook it playfully like a doggy, making him feel warm inside.

The thick leather collar circled his neck, making him feel safe and owned. It sat comfortably there as if he had always needed one. The mitts covered his hands, turning them into paws. He waved them helplessly, causing him to blush under the hood.

As he twisted his torso, he could see the tail plug wagging behind him. The silicone was flexible and replicated a wagging tail. The fullness inside his hole made him slightly hard and he loved how he could express his happiness with a wag of his butt.

He was glued to his reflection: pup Zeus. That was who he was. He was a pup. It suddenly dawned on him: the feeling of being a pup, the headspace, the obedience, the loyalty to an owner. A warmth filled his stomach and grew outwards, flowing through his body, causing a giddy excitement. He could see his eyes squinting through the holes as a smile grew across his face under the hood.

'You ready?' Mark rubbed his back.

'Wruff!' Zeus replied.

*****

'Ok, if we could get some quiet,' Bryce's voice boomed around the room. A hush fell over the crowd in the hall, which was made up of men, half in leather handler gear, the other half in pup gear.

Zeus stayed close to Mark beside him; Kev and Ben were also nearby. He looked around at the crowd. Most of the crowd stood around looking awkward and expectant as to what would happen next, a lot first-timers to being pups and handlers. He gulped in anticipation, somehow ironically feeling more on show with the pup hood on.

'Thank you all for joining us today for our first week of lessons,' Bryce clapped his hands together. 'For anyone who has forgotten my name from last week, I am head handler Bryce here at Paws pup training school. Helping us out today are my wonderful deputy handler Serg and assistant Harry,' Bryce gestured to two handlers who stood beside him at the top of the room. 'We're all very excited to get underway here, and we hope you are too. Any questions, we're here for you. I know some of you might be a bit nervous, but there's no need to be. Pup play is about having fun, so if you need any help, please put up the paw and don't be afraid to ask for assistance,' Bryce smiled. 'Now, as a getting-to-know-each-other exercise, I think we'll do a roll call, so Serg if you want to ...'

'Sure thing,' Serg pulled out a piece of paper with the enrolled trainee pups and handlers. 'If you could let us know who's who when we call your name just so we can put names to people, please.'

The crowd shifted in anticipation.

'Soooo up first we have Kev, aka pup Sparky,' Serg looked around at the crowd.

Kev, in a yellow hood waved a mitted paw and the crowd.

'Ah, great, and you're here with one of your handlers, Stu,' Serg ticked their names off the list.

Stu, in a tank top showing off his thick arms, punched Kev's arm playfully and smiled at his pup.

Kev had told Steve earlier that his three frat bros had decided to rotate their handler duties so each week one of them would take up the reins as his owner.

Zeus smiled at them under his hood, admiring their bond.

'Next we have Lewis; pup name ... Finn.'

A young man wearing a pup hood waved awkwardly. He was standing off by himself. He mustn't have a handler yet, Steve thought.

'Great name, Finn,' Serg smiled.

'Steve, or pup Zeus, and you're here with your handler Mark.'

Zeus raised a paw and Mark raised a hand as the others all turned to look at the couple.

'That's a big name to live up to,' Bryce scratched his chin thoughtfully at hearing Steve's pup name. 'But I'm sure you'll surpass all expectations,' he winked.

Zeus blushed, thankful for the hood concealing his face.

'Next we have pup H-Humper,' Serg stuttered and began to laugh at the name.

'Well I think I know who this is,' Bryce tilted his head and looked expectantly at Ben, in a pink hood, who bounced on the balls of his feet and shook his head from side-to-side. Ever the energetic kinkster. Ben was here by himself, his boss happy for him to complete the training and then come to the office a trained pup.

Zeus, along with the rest of the crowd, couldn't help but join in with the laughter. He knew that his old friend was a notoriously horny individual so the name was only fitting.

'I couldn't have picked a better name myself, Ben,' Bryce rolled his eyes.

After the crowd had settled down, Serg continued with the roll call. 'We have ... Theo, or pup Icarus - interesting name - and your handler Aaron.'

A pup in an orange hood and a man who Zeus assumed was his boyfriend greeted the room.

Icarus, Steve recalled from his Greek mythology, had disobeyed his father by flying too close to the sun, which had melted his wax wings, and fell to his death. It was an interesting allegory in overconfidence and greed.

The mention of the figure of Icarus and the related myth made Steve think of a rumour he had heard earlier that one of the trainees here was being forced to complete pup training as punishment for cheating on his boyfriend. Was Icarus that pup? Had he flown too close to the sun by being unfaithful and gotten burnt when he'd been caught?

Zeus would have to come back to the thought later as Serg continued with the list of names.

'We have two of our resident pups joining our training course too. Pablo, or pup Mellow,' Serg gestured to a blue-hooded pup that seemed to be dozing at Harry the assistant's feet.

The crowd chuckled lightly as the pup seemed to awaken as Harry nudged him with his foot, waving at the rest of the pups and handlers.

Zeus remembered hearing about Pablo during the tour the previous week. A lump in his throat had formed when he had heard about how the young man had been kicked out of his home by unaccepting parents. He was glad Mellow had found the kennels to take him in and provide a supportive environment.

' ... and pup Bruno,' Serg gestured to a red-hooded pup standing on all fours by Bryce, who had a chain leash secured to the pup's collar. He was built like a tank and interestingly held himself like a pup who had years of experience: head up, back straight, butt curved upwards, paws and feet planted squarely.

Zeus wondered why Bruno was taking the training course; he looked like he didn't need any training. Interesting how both this week and last, Bruno had only been mentioned by his pup name, and not much else had been said about his background. Maybe they themselves didn't know, Zeus thought.

Bruno glared at the crowd, his eyes squinted and angry through the holes in the hood. A low growl emitted from the pup's throat. He didn't greet them as the others had.

'Easy, boy,' Bryce warned, looking down at the pup.

Bruno gradually complied, sitting on his haunches and falling silent.

Zeus gulped. He might have to steer clear of that pup. Who knows what he'd do if he angered him or stepped into his territory.

'That should be everyone,' Serg ticked off the last name and clapped his hands, ready to begin proceeding, but not before a muscle pup sitting by Serg's feet barked and bounded up on the handler excitedly.

'Ah, sorry boy, I forgot you were there. You're such a well-behaved pup,' Serg grabbed the pup's face between both hands and wiggled it playfully. 'This is pup Rex. He's another of our residential pups who likes to stop by every now and again to help out with training newbies. We like to call him our emotional support pup. He'll be here as an aide if any of you pups need assistance. A super friendly pup so don't hesitate if you need a paw to lean on,' Serg petted Rex's head, who's tongue lolled.

'Ok, well, that's introductions out of the way. I think we're ready to get our first lesson underway,' Bryce clapped his hands and smiled.

*****

The pups were all lined up sitting on their haunches on the floor in a row opposite their handlers; the staff stood in if any of the pups didn't have a handler.

'So our first lesson in pup play is going to be on communication,' Bryce explained at the top of the room. 'It is one of, if not, the most important aspect of pup play. In any play session, both the pup and the handler have to be able to understand each other, and that means being able to communicate your wants and needs to one another,' Bryce strolled around as he talked, his leather boots creaked as he stepped on the soft play mats on the ground that made it a bit more comfortable for the pups to walk on all fours.

'Obviously,' Bryce continued. 'Pups emulate dogs when they communicate during pup play so that includes things like barking, whining, growling. Similar to dogs, pups also use nonverbal language to convey meaning or their emotions. This can be through wagging a tail to convey happiness.'

Zeus looked around and was suddenly aware of Rex subconsciously wagging his butt, causing his tail plug to wag. He smiled at the little detail he hadn't noticed before, his mind opening up to the intricacies of pup play.

'A droop of the head can mean sadness, tiredness or embarrassment,' Bryce side-eyed Mellow who was dozing again, causing a few chuckles in the group.

'Whereas rolling over and exposing a belly can be a friendly welcoming gesture that a pup wants interaction or rubs,' Bryce smiled.

'For handlers, our communication is about delivering commands, orders and conveying positive or negative affirmation. It's slightly more straight-forward for us as we can use our words to deliver these meanings, although arguably we have a harder time because we have to get another person to do what we would like them to, and sometimes that means giving out to or reprimanding a naughty pup. But like pups we can also use nonverbal language to convey meaning or give orders, like whistling or clicking our fingers when we want a pup to come stand beside us, or holding a finger in front of a pup's face when we want to be firm with them and get their attention. A lot of this you may know if you have a dog. The gestures and language often translate to pup play, so a handy tool if you're a handler is to get into the mindset that you're dealing with a real dog, and if you're a pup, thinking of yourself as the dog can help you reach that pup headspace when interacting with your owner.'

The room took a minute to process what Bryce had explained. It was a lot of information, but very useful. Zeus went over the words. It really made pup play come to life to think about the aspects of communication that replicated people interacting with their real dogs. His head spun with information and his stomach had butterflies with excitement, feeling like he was ready to take on the first lesson.

'I hope I haven't flummoxed you all,' Bryce laughed. 'So now that you have the theory, I think the best way to learn is by putting it into practice. We're going to get Serg here to demonstrate a few commands with Rex and the pup will use his verbal and nonverbal cues to convey meaning,' Bryce gestured to the deputy handler and the support pup. 'Whenever you're ready.'

Serg stepped forward, standing opposite Red, who stood to attention on all fours. 'Ready, boy?' Serg called from across the room in a clear, confident voice.

Rex barked, he was braced for commands, his tail steady in his butt as he stood still, looking like a well-trained dog.

The trainee pups and handlers waited for the show to begin, entranced as it was much of their first time seeing pup play in action.

'Come,' Serg patted his thigh and Rex came bounding over to the handler, running across the mats and coming to a stop by the handler and turning around so he was facing the same direction as Serg.

'Good, boy,' Serg gave the pup a head rub, causing him to wag his tail.

'Alright, stay,' Serg held up a finger to the pup and crossed to the other side of the room.

The pup complied, waiting on the spot.

Serg waited for a beat, letting the moment of silence hang in the air and then clicked his fingers, pointing at his boot.

Rex ran over on all fours, standing again next to the handler as he had done before.

'Sit,' Serg ordered and the pup complied, his butt hitting the floor.

'Roll over,' he spun his finger in a circular motion and Rex did as told, laying on his back.

'Paws up,' he said in a warm tone and the pup lifted both hands and feet in the air.

'Good, boy,' Serg petted Rex on the tummy; the pup lolled his tongue and wiggled happily. 'So I've shown a few commands there, the first is to order a pup to come to you verbally, then to stay using both verbal and nonverbal cues, followed by a nonverbal order to come to my side, then some commands you might be familiar with with a dog. And we of course must remember to pet the pup and call him a 'good boy' to reinforce positive behaviour, with consent of course,' Serg explained, finishing rubbing Rex's torso. 'His playfulness shows how much he enjoys it, so look out for these sorts of emotions when doing pup play. It will really help you connect with your pup.'

The crowd looked on in awe, amazed at the interaction that had taken place. There was an excited electricity in the air.

'Great demonstration, Serg Rex, thank you,' Bryce said. 'Now, how about we get you all to give it a go,' he smiled.

The room was soon filled with the noise of barks, whines and playful howls from the pups, and orders, commands and positive affirmations from the handlers as they interacted and played with one another.

Zeus spotted Humper running and hopping up on Harry, the assistant handler, with his mitts, eager to play with him. The young handler couldn't seem to get a grip on the energetic pup. Zeus laughed to himself. Ben had never lost it. Even in pup form, he was still the same randy, playful guy.

Likewise, Sparky was having some fun with his frat bro Stu, licking his trainee handler's neck as the owner tried to order him to stand still.

Icarus on the other hand looked the most nervous out of everyone. He had his head bowed, trying to make himself invisible as he still hadn't got used to being nearly nude in a room full of strangers. His handler boyfriend was trying to get him to run across the room to him and stand by his side. It didn't seem to be going well.

Bruno, the experienced but angry-looking pup, seemed to be moving with grace and had the gait of a person who had spent much of his time in pup mode. He followed all of Bryce's orders, but remained serious and stoic throughout the instructions. Zeus watched him in wonder, but averted his eyes whenever the older pup caught him staring, fearing a brawl.

Zeus was captivated by all the activity, but had to pull his gaze away and return his focus to Mark. He had to take part in the lessons too. Looking across the room, he paid attention to his boyfriend's body language, looking out for cues, and perking up his ears for verbal commands.

'Come on boy,' Mark patted his thigh.

Zeus immediately complied, running on all fours over to his boyfriend's side.

'Good, puppy,' Mark cooed, rubbing his back. 'Well done,' he told him.

Zeus felt a warmth spread through him. He rubbed his muzzle against his handler's hand and his shoulder against his handler's leg. It felt right, standing on all fours next to his boyfriend. He loved the feeling of being a pet, of being owned and of his position on the ground next to his owner. The sensations were euphoric, something he had missed since his first time as a pup. And there and then he knew being a pup was right for him. He knew that being owned and sitting or standing by his handler's feet was correct. He couldn't get enough of it, the commands, the communication, everything.

Zeus was swimming in his positive headspace that he didn't hear Mark's command.

'Turn around, turn around, boy. Come on,' Mark repeated, having to raise his voice until Zeus snapped out of it.

Bryce came over, finished with one of the other pairings he was helping. Bruno was in tow on a leash beside him.

'Turn around, boy,' Mark said again.

This time Zeus complied, back in the room with his handler. He gulped, nervous of the attention of the head handler, but also the domineering pup.

'Good, boy,' Mark petted. 'Now, stay,' he pointed and moved away towards the opposite side of the room.

Zeus felt a deep feeling of dread as his owner moved away from him. He could probably put it down to two things if he was thinking straight: the hit of euphoria he had just received from being a pet beside Mark suddenly being taken away when Mark had left his side mixed with the nervousness he was experiencing from the head handler Bryce and the intimidating pup Bruno watching him. But, of course, his intrusive thoughts were taking aim at his pup headspace, which made him panic, so the first thing he wanted to do was follow Mark and stay safe by his side. He started padding over to him.

'Remember to be firm, Mark,' Bryce advised the trainee handler.

'No, no. Stay, stay,' Mark held out a palm to Zeus as the pup kept moving.

Zeus felt helpless, wanting to comply with the order, but needing the reassurance of being by his owner. He stopped halfway, but began to whine.

Bruno huffed beside Bryce, rolling his eyes.

Zeus buried his hood under his paws, overwhelmed with the pressure and eyes on him, wanting to hide from it all. He was a bag of emotion.

'It's alright, you can go to him,' Bryce told Mark, who ran over and hugged his pup.

'Shhh, it's ok, pup. It's ok,' Mark rubbed Zeus' back.

The pup hugged his owner, glad to be by his side again. 'No need to be upset, pup,' Bryce knelt down beside them. 'You did amazing today with all your other commands; some pups just need a bit of extra help with their attachment to their owners, that's all,' he winked.

Zeus wasn't sure what had come over him. He had been doing well up to that point, maybe it was some unresolved issue that had to do with being separated from Mark that had come out in the moment when his emotions were heightened? He would have to think on that if he were to overcome his nerves and in fact 'stay' when commanded. It was a basic enough order afterall.

'Thanks Bryce,' Mark continued to rub Zeus' back, thankful for the words of encouragement.

Pup Rex padded over, hearing the commotion and nuzzled Zeus, not intruding, but just quietly reassuring the fragile pup that he was there if needed.

Bryce got to his feet and clapped his hands. 'Well done today, everyone. Great work. That wraps up our first lesson. Feel free to ask any questions. We'll see you all next week for the next lesson.'