Here we have Brand in the dog (not quite “puppy”) mask or hood he crafted himself. (Via his Facebook.)
This beautiful physical object beats the shit out of whatever “comp” you banged together in Photoshop. (I will excuse the use of leather in this case.) And really, they should be called hound masks or hound hoods.
I have read extensively about so-called puppy play. (Like grey goo, worried well, and bathroom bill, beware of cutesy alliterative neologisms. I suppose hound hood is one of those.) I have watched various of the videos, particularly those of Brand’s master, Jyan Delamotte (no relation). I breezed through Puppy Night at the Eagle last week – a dozen staph infections waiting to happen. I am not sold on the sexual aspect whatsoever. I also don’t disapprove. It’s a fetish, but so are a lot of things.
But I do respect the model demonstrated by Brand. Since Egypt, if not from time immemorial, donning a mask lets you forget about being yourself. Of course we know it’s still you, but that is exactly what you forget. I don’t think it’s about dissimulation or pretending or acting.
I see the advantage of Brand’s variant of puphood as being able at last to forget every single thing, to follow your leader, to be.
I would further commend Brand for his introduction video, its – his – touching honesty enabled by wearing another mask or hood of his own creation.
