Meet the 'Human Pup' Who Identifies as Dog
Source – Playing fetch on all fours might seem like an unusual activity for an adult, but one man who identifies as a dog says it has brought him closer to his husband.
Tony McGinn, known as ‘Tony Bark’ to his friends, says he has been into animal role-play his entire life, and refers to himself as a ‘human pup’.
The 30-year-old, who was born female and is transgender, is supported by his husband and ‘handler’ Andrew who accompanies him to regular play dates with other role-players in their hometown of Los Angeles.
Tony said: ‘To me a dog is everything pure in the world. Dogs experience the world through a lens of pure joy that I don’t think other animals have. …
‘And now in my adult life, in my relationships, it’s a way for me to feel vulnerable and exposed and close to my partner. It’s a very intimate thing.
‘Imagine if the easiest way to delight your partner is you just throw a ball across the room. Relationships wouldn’t fail anymore if that’s all you had to do.’ …
The couple have known each other since 2009 and have three dogs of their own, which they refer to as ‘bio dogs’.
But that doesn’t mean Tony doesn’t think of himself as a ‘real dog’. He states confidently that he ‘identifies as a dog’ and says pet play is about getting into the head-space of the animal.
I think I speak for a lot of people who’d like to thank Tony Bark for broadening our horizons and teaching us about the human pup lifestyle. A short time ago a thing like a human self-identifying as dog might have have been considered … unusual. Strange even. A generation ago people might have called it “a mental illness.” Or said this person is in need of “serious help.” A hundred years ago, Tony would’ve probably been institutionalized. Two hundred years ago? Probably hunted by villagers with torches and pitchforks for being some sort of dog demon who’d steal sheep in the night or something.
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But we’ve come a long way when it comes to self-identified dog acceptance. Just as long as Tony Bark is happy, running around playing with all the other human pups and their handlers, who are we to judge? If I’ve learned anything from every, single contestant on The Bachelorette, happiness in 2018 is all about feeling vulnerable. I don’t know why that is and I actually kind of consider being invulnerable to be a fairly positive human trait. And “exposed” has so many bad connotations I don’t know where to start.
But that’s just me and my antiquated notions of what relationships are all about. So I’m evolving. I won’t judge until I’ve gotten into the head-space of an animal and walked around on all fours a little bit. In 25 years of marriage I never realized that the easiest way to delight my adorable Irish Rose would be to let her throw me a ball across the room. And maybe if more of us did that, we wouldn’t have divorces. Go figure. Dog joy – by that I mean, bio dog joy – is better than people joy and those of us missing out on this are the real crazy ones.
Plus, when you’re a Mog, you get to be your own best friend. Win/win.
So again I say, thanks for making me a better person, Tony Barks. Now who’s a good boy? Huh? That’s right. You are.