What is a Owner / Handler?
You like the shape of caring for someone who takes an animal role.
Pet play swaps human manners for animal ones. The owner or handler looks after a partner in that role: training, play, rules, and the affection that goes with it. Cats, dogs, foxes, ponies and plenty else.
It's usually lighter and funnier than outsiders expect, and it has some of the most visible community anywhere: pet-play munches and gear-heavy events are common in most big cities.
The other half of the pair is Pet. Dropping human for a while is a relief, and you're good at it.
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Commonly confused with
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Related terms
Common questions
What is an owner / handler?
Pet play swaps human manners for animal ones. The owner or handler looks after a partner in that role: training, play, rules, and the affection that goes with it. Cats, dogs, foxes, ponies and plenty else.
What is an owner / handler not?
Owner here has nothing to do with the Master/slave dynamic, despite the overlapping words. This one is a specific kind of play.
Which roles pair with an owner / handler?
The natural pair is a pet. Dropping human for a while is a relief, and you're good at it. That is a starting point rather than a rule: most people describe themselves with several roles at once, and what fits changes with the partner.
How do I know if I'm an owner / handler?
You like the shape of caring for someone who takes an animal role. If that reads as familiar, the free BDSM test scores it in thirty-two plain questions, in your browser, with nothing sent to us. After that, the best place to find out for real is in person: pet-play groups run their own socials and are usually welcoming to newcomers.
This is a plain-language guide, not a psychological assessment, and no term here is better than another. People describe themselves with several of these at once, and what fits changes over time.