AAA THIS LOOKS LIKE MY DOG

AAA THIS LOOKS LIKE MY DOG

i like you, let me gnaw your arm :3

Chicken. PLEASE. I'll be good. I promise. Just a few table scraps.

Tips for caninekin

These are just things that have worked for me as a wolfdog, so feel free to suggest things or give feedback!

1. Make a nest indoors. Use pillows, plushes, lots of blankets, and maybe some clothes. Make it comfortable, maybe make it like a “fort” so you can crawl inside, or one you can lie on if you’d prefer. If you don’t want others you live with to know of your alterhuman status, I suggest making a nest late at night, and sleeping in it until morning, then undoing it.

2. Make a den outdoors. The den can involve a nest as well! A forest, a park, a field, a riverbank, maybe even a bench. Wherever feels freeing, and feels like home. If your den is in a forest or field- somewhere private and more wild -make small alterations to suit your tastes. Claw in your initials, make a snow- or moss nest, dig a comfortable pit to lie in, or anything else. If it’s in public and, well, public, spend time there doing more discrete activities if you prefer. Maybe journal about your theriotype, draw yourself, or bring things that remind you of yourself to relax.

3. Dog stuff. You knew it was coming. Collars and chew toys, right? Well, sorta. There are also paw warmers, small accessories, trinkets to put on your backpack instead of collar, a shorter leash to make your keys more noticeable in your bag, and you could sew dog booties into clothes for extra storage. Don’t let yourself be limited to collars and toys; there are a lot more options out there- even if collars and toys are great too.

4. Listen to your theriotypes calls, and replicate them. Be it yipping, howling, snarling, barking, or laughing, replicating the sounds while listening to them can be soothing and make you feel included. If you cannot join in, listening to the noises can be soothing in and of itself, as well.

5. Wear affirming clothes. It can be clothes that somehow involve your species (like a graphic t-shirt), clothes that are the same color as your fur or body, or that just feel like the correct clothing. I tend to like looser clothes that are very neutral, but other may prefer clothes that make them look like themselves more. Patches are also wonderful for clothes and accessories. Choose a pair of old jeans and just go to town with patches, sewing, and painting; it feels great. You can also decorate your bag for school with pins, drawings, and similar items.

6. If you can or want to, do quads! Not only can you walk around like your theriotype, it’s also a shockingly good workout. Just make sure your form is good and you don’t go too fast, as to prevent injury!

7. Yarn tail time! Make an accurate one to your body size if possible, or make a smaller tail to hook onto your backpack.

8. Forage stuff to eat, or to decorate. From edible flowers like dandelions, to wood sorrel, to maybe even mushrooms if you have the knowledge, there are a lot of things you can just eat outside. Eating wild grown foraged items, either on their own or in a salad or similar, feels freeing in a way hard to describe in my experience. You can also gather twigs, pine cones, nuts, and similar items to make things out of, or make your room/den more comfortable!

9. Draw paw prints of your specific theriotype. Try to make it as accurate as possible. Draw it on paper, on your pants, on your palms, or on your shoes- anywhere you like. They are your paws, and it can feel safer when you can visibly see your correct paws type, in my experience.

10. Shake after getting wet. This is also something that’s a-ok to do in public, which I really enjoy. Coming in after it has rained, getting out of the shower, or drying off after swimming in a lake- it feels great!

11. Make treats. No, not necessary dog treats. It can be chunks of shaggily cut bell pepper, pieces of meat to gnaw on, and other treats that don’t feel “human”. It can be the classic “seeds and peanut butter shaped as a dog bone”, or a whole cucumber that your tear apart. Use it as a reward for doing good, or just eat it when you want to.

12. If you like gnawing, get a chew stim toy. It’s less harmful than most other things you could be gnawing on, and works quite well for molars!

13. Claim some territory. It can be your house, or a place in the forest, or your room. Allow only those you want to to come in. Chase out creatures you do not want in. Create a marker along the edges of the territory, for example a specific cloth color tied on trees, if needed.

I am vile but you groom the dirt from my fur with tender hands.

I am a monster but you caress the muzzle that has hurt so many with care.

I am broken but you lick my wounds and kiss my scars.

I am unlovable but you love me anyway.

This beast does not deserve you.

But you stay, and that is more than I could ever ask for.