How to Do Things with Woofs: Examining the Use of Non-Human Vocalizations as a Genre of Non-Verbal Communication in the Queer Pup Play Kink Community

Abstract

The present study examines one particular genre of extremely non-semantic communication: the non-human vocalizations (NHVs) of members of the queer pup play subculture. A growing object of academic study, members of this subculture are defined by their mutual engagement in pup play or puppy play, a form of (often) erotic roleplay in which one or more practitioners take on the role of a young dog (Wignall and McCormack, 2017; Wignall et al., 2022). Participants in this subculture often make active use of the vocalic mimicry of canines as a subculture-bound communicative practice.