History and Symbolism of the Puppy Play Flag
The Puppy Play Flag represents much more than a simple banner today: it embodies the identity, pride, and belonging of a rapidly expanding community. A symbol of recognition and unity, this flag has undergone several evolutions since its origins in the early 2000s, reflecting the diversity and richness of the puppy play movement worldwide.
It all begins with the Dog Pride flag
Scott Stevenson’s first versions (2000-2001)
During extensive research into the history of puppy play, we came across the first Dog Pride (Dogtraining) flag ever created. The first official mention dates back to April 2001 on the now-defunct Leatherdog website, which marked the history of this emerging community.
Scott Stevenson, known by the pseudonym phyedo, wrote and mentioned that he had created a dog pride flag for the dogboy/Master community. We really loved his innovative idea and interviewed him about its origins and use. Here are revealing excerpts from this historic interview.
The motivations behind the creation
Why did you decide to create a Dog Pride flag in the first place?
“I guess after many years of being in the community, and after being a former titleholder (phyedo is Michigan Drummerboy 1999), I felt I needed to give back more of what was given to me… also, there are A LOT of Dogs/young boys out there, and I hoped this could help us come together and identify ourselves where we couldn’t otherwise.”
The symbolism of the original colors
Why did you choose the colors and layout? What do they mean?
As for the colors, Scott chose black to represent the leather side, brown to represent the Dog side, the “flesh” tone to represent the human side, and white to represent the brightness and glow of pride and respect that the community has for itself and each other. The black border, following the leather theme, represents the leather side through which most of them are connected.
The vertical stripes were chosen to remind everyone to stand up for themselves with dignity. The dog head, meanwhile, constitutes the identifier of who they are or want to be. These meanings reflect Scott’s personal opinions, leaving everyone free to interpret the symbol according to their own experience.
Today's Puppy play flags
The French evolution (2016)
The first to revisit and modernize the Dog Pride flag were members of the Puppy Play group from France in 2016. Their objective was to propose a banner for the emerging French-speaking pup community. This version, created by Franck Deloux, is also currently in the public domain for all types of use, allowing free and universal distribution.
The French Puppy Play Flag has gone through two successive versions (2014 and 2017), each bringing aesthetic and symbolic improvements to better represent the diversity of the community.
International initiatives
In 2017, an Australian group created the Pup and Handler Pride Flag, thus recognizing the unique relationship between pups and their handlers. That same year also saw the emergence of other variants, testifying to the global expansion of the puppy play movement.
In 2018, John Jasio designed the PUP & CO flag, adding a new dimension to the visual representation of this constantly evolving community.
The red bone flag: a universal symbol
Kirk “Brue” Pierce’s story
Long used to represent dogtraining, the red bone flag was very quickly adopted by the Pup community as a universal banner. Its creator, Kirk “Brue” Pierce, shares a fascinating history lesson about its design.
A quest for personal identity
More than 25 years ago, when Kirk began exploring his dog side, his first attempt at personal identification was that of an all-leather gay man, as he imagined himself in his youth. Growing up, he always had the soul of a dog, never really identifying with other existing movements or communities.
It was natural for him to gravitate toward the leather pride flag created by Tony DeBlase, as a symbol telling of his beginnings and personal evolution in the gay leather community.
The birth of the bone symbol
But something was always missing in this complete representation of himself. More than ten years ago, Kirk created a visual with a red dog head on the colors of the leather pride flag, but something bothered him. Each dog head defined a specific breed, without achieving the generic and inclusive representation he had in mind.
So the question arose: what simple symbol would be universal enough and recognizable worldwide if associated with dogs? The answer appeared obvious: a bone. Kirk therefore removed the red heart and added a red bone to the center of the leather pride flag colors.
A globally adopted symbol
Now he had created a symbol to identify with as a dog in the leather community, non-discriminatory since not based on a specific breed, and understood everywhere in the world. Kirk always loved Tony DeBlase’s attitude: “I will leave it to the observer to interpret the colors and symbols.”
At first, only a few friends knew about this visual, then gradually people began to notice and appreciate it. His friends at Leather Creations, where he worked at the time, encouraged him to continue its distribution to the public. They filed a copyright to protect it from undesirable uses and helped him produce flags, bracelets, t-shirts, and pins.
The importance of identity in puppy play
What matters most, according to Kirk, is that everyone finds who they are and how they identify, whether it’s their pup/dog soul or what characterizes them as a Handler/Master. This is essential to make the community a safe and healthy place.
There are many ways to reveal one’s pup personality, and even if no existing symbol fully satisfies, everyone can find or invent something they like. Authenticity with oneself and one’s soul remains essential, as each experience is different and unique.
A common heritage accessible to all
The visual of the red bone Puppy Play Flag now belongs to the public domain and has been freely available for any use since May 2011. This generous decision allows the global puppy play community to appropriate this symbol and bring it to life according to its own values and aspirations.
Today, whether it’s Scott Stevenson’s original flag, Franck Deloux’s French versions, or Kirk Pierce’s iconic red bone, all these symbols testify to the evolution and maturity of a community that continues to grow and define itself with pride and authenticity.