5/30 Animal Role Play - Classes and Workshops at the Dog and Pony weekend

This multi-track event is suitable both for newcomers and advanced participants.

Brown Bag Munch (11:30 am - 12:30 pm)

Attendees are encouraged to pack up their feed bags (or pick up some "to go" locally), and join us in a Brown Bag Munch that will be held from 11:30 AM, when the doors open, until 12:30 PM, when the workshops begin.

Meet-n-Greet (12:00 - 12:30 pm)

In the second half of the munch, we'll do a round of introductions, so we know who's who in the menagerie. We'll also introduce our panelists for the afternoon's workshops.

Workshops (12:30 - 6:00 pm):

We'll have a full schedule of workshops, panels, and exercises for participants, including:

A General Overview of Animal Role Play

This introductory session will lay the foundation for the day's workshops, discussing several aspects of animal role play, and why we are drawn to it.

A dual track of "how-to" sessions by Role:

• "How-Tos" for Owners/Handlers/Trainers

  Designed for the person working work with the human animal, giving useful tips for understanding animal headspace, and how to help your animal go there. We'll also cover practical "how to" information on training, animal gear and equipment, the care and grooming of your animal, and what you need to know to get started.

• "How-Tos" for Animals

  Designed for those who are interested in exploring animal headspace. We'll discuss how to find and understand your totem animal, how to achieve animal headspace and what its like. We'll also discuss the wide realm of gear and garb that can be used in animal role play.

A triple track of "how-to" sessions by "Species"

• "How-Tos" for Pony and Equine players
• "How-Tos" for Puppy and Dog players
• "How-Tos" for those who play as/with other species

In these "species-specific" sessions, experienced players will provide information targeted towards playing with, or being, the animal of choice. There will be demos and exercises to help attendees better understand the experience of animal role play.

Animal Role Play Opportunities

In this series of four mini-sessions, we'll talk about events, venues and groups and resources available to animal role players - and ways to create your own opportunities for animal role play.

Furs / Furries

This session explores the world of furs / furries - the similarities and differences with Animal Role Play. Attendees will see examples of furries in videos, anime, and have a chance to see an exhibit of a variety of fursuits.

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Immediately following the workshops, attendees usually have dinner together at a nearby restaurant, and then return to SF Citadel for the evening party at 8:00 pm.

Reservations not required. Membership not required. Costumes welcome, but you don't need to wear anything special. The event is open to anyone 18 years and older with a sincere, positive, personal interest in BDSM / leather / kink / fur. All roles, genders, and orientations welcome. If you have questions you may write to edukink at yahoo dot com

WORKSHOP PANELISTS, PRESENTERS, & DEMO MODELS include:

• Pup Ajax started his path to puphood as the sub in a Master/slave relationship that has lasted for 14 years. He moved from Mississippi to San Francisco to live as a slave to Master David Schachter, where he has been involved off and on with the local leather community. Having always had an inner pup - and a love for animals almost more than people - he began to embrace his pup side 5 years ago and joined up with the SF K9-Unit pack. There he has found brotherhood and deep friendships with other handlers and pups.

• Smash Greywolf came to the BDSM community from over a decade in the "furry" community. You may know him as that black leather and latex clad wolf from Folsom Street Fair, the Pride Parade, or Up Your Alley fair - or as the black latex fox from last year's Fox Hunt. He has been heavily involved in the "gear fetish" scene and animal role play, and was one of the founding members of The Stampede animal role play community in the SF Bay area. He will be discussing the kinkier aspects of the "furry fandom" and how it differentiates from more traditional forms of animal role play, as well as how it augments and differentiates from BDSM practices, protocols, and traditions.

• Trainer Jim just loves dogs. They're fun, loyal, calming, and sometimes mischievous. But he is allergic to born canines, so he just adopted and started training boys. He enjoys the challenges presented by different breeds of dogs, as well the never-ending mix between pups, dogs, D/s, and BDSM - some or all of which can be present in any given human wanting to be trained.

• Onyx is the current president and one of the founding members of The Stampede animal role play community in the SF Bay area.. He has lived as a pony several times, including 30 days at the OWK and 10 days at Crystal Haven Farms (Mistress Lalique). He has been in the pony play and furry communities since 1996. He has a strong interest in Latex Rubber and likes to combine the pony gear with latex. He will have several types of pony heads (leather and latex) for others to see as well as other pony gear and one of his tiger costumes.

• Ponymistress Rebecca has been a life long lover of all things equine and a member of the kink community for six years. She keeps a small livery stable, which includes a variety of ponies. She's proud of her recent acquisition, a cute little filly named Copper. Most of her experience has been with (genetic) horses, llamas and dogs. That experience is the basis of her training style with human ponies, including ground driving, TTOUCH and Monty Roberts style training. Her love for human ponies will soon be shared with the larger community with The Human Pony by Greenery Press. For more information on Rebecca's events, join the PonyPlayersUnited Yahoo group.

• Pup Spike, owned by Trainer Jim, has spent his entire life living and taking care of dogs. Spike has a great love for pups and K9’s as well as being one in day to day life. Spike has always had his deep connection with his inner pup since about 4 years of age. Spike has spent 10 years actively in the BDSM and animal life communities, spending 3 years teaching workshops on puppy play intro and basics in Denver, CO before moving to California. Spike has been featured in the Canadian TV show on animal role play and his experiences are included in BDSM books. Spike spends time both in dominant or submissive headspace, enjoys being a pup, loves the outdoors and is often playful, mischievous and full of energy.

• Angela di Tenebre has been an organizer and presenter for the Dog-n-Pony Weekends since 2003, and on staff since 2002. When not in pony headspace, she is also Co-Coordinator for the Society of Janus, and a prolific BDSM presenter on a variety of topics. As Pony Cinnamon, she has rediscovered her "inner horse" from childhood, and looks forward to her vet visits.

• Iain Turner, DVM, has owned several fine ponies over the years, and has taught pony play, veterinary play, and other kinky subjects. He has been an organizer and presenter at all ten Dog and Pony shows. He is currently Co-Coordinator of the Society of Janus. Outside the scene, he's an experienced trainer of (born) dogs, horses and parrots.

• Windy is a cart and show pony. She has won many competitions including Blue Ribbons for best harness/tack and Best of Show at the first Dog and Pony show at CastleBar in San Francisco.