Dominants like to be in control. Unlike BDSM tops or sadists, their need is not particularly to inflict pain but to be domineering and have control over another person. Some Doms/Dommes expect to be obeyed immediately and without questions. Others enjoy being tested, and having to show their dominance over the submissive who’s being bratty. There is no one way to be a Dominant. Dom/Dommes can also be sadists, tops, masters or riggers. Dominant is a huge category of BDSM made up of many very different people who all have one thing in common, their need to be in control. The D in the term BDSM stands for Dominance, therefore Dominants are an instrumental part of BDSM. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

A voyeur gets pleasure from watching other people indulging in sexual, kinky or fetish activities. This can be in many different situations. The people or person being watched may be aware the voyeur is there or not. Depending if the voyeur is visible or hidden away. Some voyeurs like very specific situations or they may just enjoy watching and aren’t bothered whether others know this or not. Voyeurs can be part of the sexy action but will often find positions where they can watch what else is going on too. A voyeur may enjoy watching themselves, employing lots of mirrors to do so or videoing themselves and their partners. A voyeur could be very focused on simply watching the action all the time or they may also want to be involved in some way. It may depend on the situation or what kind voyeurism the voyeur enjoys.

An exhibitionist enjoys being watched. This may include exposing private parts of their body to onlookers or in a public space where someone might see or it might be indulging in play in front of an audience. It could also be more private, in a setting between a person and his/her lover/s. Exhibitionism can be combined with submission. This way a Dominate partner can order a sub to expose themselves in certain ways. They might order a sub to wear a short skirt and no knickers whilst out in public, or to wear ladies underwear under work clothes if it’s a male submissive. They might ask a submissive to do something at a play event so everyone there can see. Enjoying the thrill of being exposed, exhibitionists have to be careful not to do anything illegal. It is good for exhibitionists to play at play events where people are expecting to see partially naked and naked people. They can play our their fantasies and desires in a supportive atmosphere. It is fun to play in public, but exhibitionists have to be safe and keep their activities legal when they are out where there’s the possibility of members of the public seeing them.

An owner enjoys pet play but not by becoming pet-like at all. They are the responsible person who looks after the person playing as a cat, dog, pony or other animal. They are Dominant personalities with a kind, caring side. They take over complete control during pet play. Just as any owner would do with a pet. Owners pair up with pets. They may only ever pick one type of pet, being a dog person or a cat person for example, or they might like the variety of owning different pets. They will perform tasks such as grooming, feeding and putting down water for their pets. They may lock their pet in a cage if it’s appropriate. Dog and Cat Pet play owners will do lots of play and grooming activities with their pets. There may be elements of training, rewarding positive behaviour and punishing bad. An owner may choose to lead their pet around on a lead or have a special collar for them that looks just like that of an animal pet. Pony owners might not focus so much on play. Pony play can come in different forms but will include training the pony to do specific tricks and/or having them pull a carriage of some sort or carry a person on their back. Owners take pride in looking after and showing off their pets. They may own one or more. There is a strong bond between an owner and their pet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is a monogamous relationship. There can be a sexual element in an owner and pet’s play but often it is all about the dynamic between the pet and the owner. Owners enjoy taking on the responsibilities so that the pet can lose all human inhibitions and completely become a pet for a period of time.

A pet is a submissive who enjoys taking on aspects of a domesticated animal. Pets enjoy the freedom of being animal-like. They leave all adult responsibility behind to play like their chosen pet. There are many different levels of pet play. Some pets enjoy dressing up with masks and gloves so that the pet can’t speak or use their hands as humans would. Other’s just like to act like pets without any particular specialist gear. There can be a sexual element to pet play but quite often it is just simply about play and the power dynamic between the Owner and their dearly beloved pet.

A degrader (degradation giver) uses humiliation and degradation to embarrass their submissive. This is done in a consensual way, knowing that the degradation receiver finds it sexually arousing. It is not something every submissive will enjoy and needs lots of conversations around levels and boundaries. Degradation givers are usually Dominants in a relationship and get a thrill out of the intense submission from the degradation receiver who does anything to make his or her Dominant happy, even (and especially) if they have to humiliate or embarrass themselves in the process.

A degradation receiver (degradee) gets turned on by being humiliated, degraded and/or embarrassed in a sexual or kink context. This is a consensual activity where both parties enjoy this play and have strict rules and boundaries in place. A degradation receiver is more than likely going to be a submissive. Degradation receivers find being treated in such a way, as a person’s property, to be very arousing. They may enjoy being objectified too. Actually used as a piece of furniture for their Dominant to use or just talked about in a way you wouldn’t talk about another human being in everyday conversation. They may enjoy being ignored or ordered around too.

Non-monogamists break with the societal tradition of having just one partner at a time. They will prefer to be in an open relationship. They can be called polyamorous. They don’t see sex or kink as something to keep between themselves and just one other person. They can have several partners at once, these can be just for play or more serious relationships. Every non-monogamist will have different approaches to non-monogamy. Polyamorists will have, or look to be in, more than one relationship. These will be more than play and sex, and involve a romantic and/or intimate aspect. Swingers may be married or in a committed relationship with one person but they will indulge in kink or sexual play with other people too. Swingers can be single, it’s not all about wife-swapping. Anyone not in a monogamous relationship can be referred as polyamorous. Non-monogamists can indulge in all kinds of fetishes and kink play. They can be Dominant, submissive or switch if they’re into BDSM. They will rarely be slaves as devotion to one Master or Mistress doesn’t come easy to them. However, they might work well in a relationship with multiple slaves and one or more Dominant partner.

Monogamy is when you have one relationship at a time. It is the expected norm in vanilla relationships but is also very popular in the kink community too. In vanilla society, monogamists partner up with just one other person and that is often for many years at a time. Some get married, others have civil unions but any relationship between two people with a sexual/romantic connection is counted as monogamy. Within BDSM the definition is slightly different, in that a monogamous Dom and sub are likely to keep most kink and sexual play between themselves. Strict monogamists will commit to only having kink or sexual play with one person. The line between monogamy and non-monogamy is definitely blurred. However, there are those within monogamy who aren’t quite as strict. They may have exceptions to the rule of only being with their partner. For example, when it comes to play. If one partner is into a particular fetish or aspect of BDSM that the other doesn’t enjoy they may do this one thing with another, pre-agreed person from time to time. They may have agreements that allow for one partner to demonstrate certain BDSM play with others or that the person can be a rope bunny for another person under certain circumstances.

An all-rounder enjoys a little bit of everything. They don’t have a preference to being dominant or submissive and are happy to switch between them both. They are happy to try everything once! All-rounders are similar to experimentalists but they don’t have the same drive to keep trying new things. They’re happy to try new things or stick to whatever their partners like. They are very laid back with no real, deep desires of their own for any one kink or fetish. As they enjoy variety, all-rounders are good for all kinds of scene. They will be eager to try new things and will also be good at suggesting new things to try or add in to a scene to give it a different twist. All-rounders enjoy making other people happy so they’re fantastic partners for anyone because of their enthusiasm. All-rounders might not have the same passion that some people with specific fetishes and kinks do but they are more flexible. Happy to try out new things, they’re not set in their ways or reluctant to do something different. An all-rounder is the kind of person who will happily be the exhibitionist one day and a voyeur the next. They’ll be your slave for a while then will be your dominant. Variety is the key to a happy all-rounder.

Vanilla people stick to the standards in sexual play and roles. For example they’re most likely to be in heterosexual, monogamous relationships. By sheer definition members of the LGBTQI community aren’t vanilla even though you could argue what the definition of standard is when referencing sexuality. There’s nothing wrong with this, even though vanilla is often used as a derogatory term by kinksters. It’s often seen as being boring and normal. However, not everyone has a particular fetish or kink and so vanilla sex is exactly what they need and want. Some vanilla people will go on to find out they have specific fetishes and kinks but the majority will be happy always having vanilla interactions. Keeping to what they know is a driving factor for vanilla people. Knowing what will happen in a sexual interaction is important to them. They’re likely to have lots of limits on what they will do.

Switch is the BDSM term for someone who isn’t always just Dominant or only submissive, they are a combination of the two. They enjoy being the top in a scene sometimes but are equally as comfortable being the bottom at other times. They have a real desire for both but may be more Dominant or more submissive. Switches don’t tend to have a 50/50 split Dom or sub. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

People who enjoy letting out their inner animal instincts are known as primal. Some primals have a naturally submissive side and so they are known as primal prey. Primal prey enjoy being chased. They won’t necessarily just roll over and let the Dominant have their way though, Prey like to fight back. Prey are primal meaning they enjoy acting on baser instincts. Instead of complying with the rules of polite society they act only on their instincts. Some prey take on specific animal traits. Some become like wolves or foxes. They might be sea creature like or a big cat. They might identify with a gorilla. Other prey take aspects from all different kinds of animals or even just baser human instincts. Although submissive in nature, prey are primal meaning they do a lot of fighting. This is often sexual in nature but can just be about power exchange too. Biting, scratching, hair pulling and all kinds of punching and kicking can be employed by a cornered prey. Primal play has no particular rules and can be very unpredictable. Prey will fight on and on, until they are beaten into submission.

Essentially primals enjoy fighting. Hunters are the Dominant primals. They will hunt down their prey and try everything they can to control the prey. This can involve all kinds of actions from biting and scratching, to kicking and hitting. Also mental tricks can be used by primal hunters to subdue their prey. This is known as a mind fuck. Although most primal play is physical, a proportion of it can be mental. Primal hunters may identify with certain powerful animals such as lions, tigers, gorillas, wolves, foxes for example. They may just be generally animalistic or might not think of themselves as animals at all. They could just act upon their baser, human instincts. A primal hunter has only one aim, to find prey and make that prey submit to their Dominance. A primal hunter isn’t bothered about using fancy kit, in fact most primal hunters will use nothing more than their bare hands. They don’t look for unquestioned obedience, they want their submissive to fight back. They don’t want obedience to be given to them they want to take their prey’s submission from them. The more fighting the better!

A submissive likes to be controlled, relishing someone else taking responsibility away from them. Some are subservient and submit willingly. Others are brattier and put up a fight. There are also submissives who will fight sometimes and be subservient at others. Submission can be confined to the bedroom or only taken out to BDSM and Fetish clubs and dungeons or it can used in all kinds of day to day situations. Some submissives chose to be subservient in all their roles, others take on submission to escape the responsibilities of work and family life. Submissives let someone else take control. They may have a list of rules to abide by set by their Dom/Domme. If rules are broken then there will be punishments too as well as rewards for good behaviour. Some submissives love to be naughty and punished, others want to be good and strive to do their best and be rewarded. Others will want a mix of the two. It isn’t all about humiliation and degradation for a submissive, unlike other bottoms they are more concerned with being subservient and giving over control to another person. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

A rigger is a dominant who enjoys controlling a submissive by the use of bondage and restraint. Rigger is a term that is commonly connected to a person who enjoys tying ropes. However, a rigger can use other things to restrain a submissive. Control with bondage for a rigger is a favourite. They may like their submissive to fight back or be bratty or may enjoy it when a submissive is meek as stays still. A rigger may enjoy other dominant activities. If they have a sadist streak they may enjoy combining impact play with their bondage. Wax play is something else riggers can enjoy adding into their bondage play.

A submissive who enjoys being restrained is called a rope bunny. They don’t have to be restrained by rope. Chain can be used or spreader bars, items of clothing or handcuffs. A rope bunny enjoys the constriction of restraint. A rope bunny may really enjoy rope. The feel and the constriction as well as the artistic value of the ties. They may enjoy being suspended in rope too. There are all kinds of rope, with different sensations from soft to scratchy. A masochistic rope bunny will enjoy extra pain with their restraint and may like to mix restraints with impact play. Some rope bunnies are very into the artistic element of rope. Enjoying being part of shibari and kinbaku rope ties. This kind of bunny in particular will need a rigger to play with, as it takes time and practise to tie in these artistic ways. Other rope bunnies are more interested in the bondage element. Not really bothered about how they’re restrained, just that they are. Rope bunny is an all-encompassing term for a submissive who enjoys being controlled by restraint. This can be purely a kink thing, or it might be a sexual turn on too. Bondage play doesn’t have to be sexual, just like any other BDSM play it can be very satisfying on it’s own. As with any classification of submissive there are many different preferences a rope bunny could prefer. Some may be very much into the feel of cold chain, others may enjoy the ungiving nature of wooden stocks and pillories.

Daddy Dom or Mommy Dom is the term for a certain type of Dominant who enjoys taking on a caring and nurturing role. They mainly match up with girls/boys otherwise known as 'littles'. DDLG stands for Daddy Dom/Little Girl and is a term often used in the BDSM community. Daddy Dom and Mommy Dominants enjoy control, as all Dominants do. Their control can be in the form of written rules, choosing outfits as well as making lots of decisions for their littles. Daddy and Mommy Dominants are patient and caring, which is why they match up so well with the child-like littles. BDSM comes into the Daddy and Mommy’s relationships with their littles in different ways. They strike a balance between encouraging the little’s child-like joy and enthusiasm and showing them the control they crave for. This is why they carry both the name Daddy or Mommy and Dominant at the same time. Caring in a parental type roll and controlling as a Dominant. Daddy Doms and Mommy Doms are often instinctually good at aftercare because of their especially nurturing natures. This is essential when matching up with littles as they need lots of care and attention before, during and after a BDSM scene.

A baby Girl / baby Boy is often known by the gender neutral term, little. A little is a type of submissive who embraces a childlike state. This can manifest in many ways including curiosity, a love of play, carrying a soft toy and dressing in clothes associated with being young. They can also use items such as pacifiers and diapers, but these are optional. Not all littles see themselves as being that young. Littles are submissives who need a great deal of nurturing and care from the Dominant who looks after them. Their Dominants are usually known as Daddies and Mummies. Littles will engage in activities which are associated with childhood. These include colouring in colouring books, doodling, blowing bubbles, playing games like tag or snakes and ladders. On the face of things, it seems a little takes more looking after than other submissives. It may be that they expect and need more support, time and nurture but their submission runs deep. Little’s relationships to their Daddy Dom or Mommy Domme are very intense. There is a great dedication from the little to their Dominants. They have a lot of submission to give. Littles can be bratty especially if this is a way they can earn fun punishments that they want. Littles, like all submissives, crave control. They may want very precise rules and will go out of their way to push the boundaries and test their Dominants. Littles often enjoy mixing BDSM gear such as cuffs, ropes and collars with pretty lacy dresses or dungarees. The contrast of innocent and not so innocent makes them happy.

A sadist is a Dominant who enjoys inflicting pain on a submissive partner or partners. However, it isn’t always that a sadist enjoys inflicting all kinds of pain on others. They may well enjoy specific sadistic tortures. They may prefer using a particular instrument like a whip or a cane or they might enjoy adding a sadistic element to other BDSM activities such as rope and restraints. Sadists get pleasure from inflicting pain on others. This is always consensual and agreed in advance. They can enjoy the visual evidence of the pain they’ve inflicted in bruises and welts and red skin. They often enjoy the noises a masochist makes while they are inflicting pain on them and enjoy watching the way that masochist moves as they are tortured. They may even enjoy restraining the masochist so they can’t easily move. Not all sadistic torture leaves marks. Sadists can use electric that inflicts lots of pain on their masochist but doesn’t leave lasting marks. Not all sadism is focused on the physical. Sadists often use fear and control to play with pain without inflicting any physical damage at all. This is called a mind fuck. Many people often ask what is a sadist? There isn’t one simple answer. Every sadist is different. Sadists are most often Dominants but can be switches. Even masochists and submissives can have a sadistic streak. Enjoying inflicting pain on another person, maybe because they understand the thrill of feeling the pain themselves. Sadists can become sexually aroused by inflicting painful torture on others, it can also be simply about submission and control. Sadists often spend many hours honing their skills with one particular torture implement to get the most sadistic pleasure out of their implement of choice.

Masochists enjoy having pain inflicted on them. It might not be all kinds of pain, but only specific types. They usually match up with sadists because sadists enjoy inflicting pain. Masochists tend to be submissive, but can be switches too. Masochists know what it feels to take a punishment do can make effective tops in a scene. Some Dominants have masochistic streaks, enjoying a certain level of pain themselves. Masochism is centred on the pleasure of pain but many masochists enjoy being controlled and dominated too. Masochists are often bratty, to get the pain they want. The worst torture for a masochist is totally withholding punishment as they crave pain. In day-to-day life masochists may find non kinky ways to satisfy their desires such as pushing themselves hard during exercise. Masochists often use pain to feel free from the pressures of day to day life.

Brat tamers are Dominants who look for naughty, playful submissives, called brats. They love the challenge of keeping up with the mischievous antics of brats and providing suitable rules, punishments and rewards. Brat tamers know that they’ll never tame their brats, but they have a whole lot of fun trying. They are Dominant in nature but they do not expect the same level of control and submission that say a slave master would. They know that playful mischief is part of a brat’s make up and embrace that. Enjoying when their brat misbehaves and coming up with suitable punishments that both brat and tamer will enjoy. Brat tamers tend to be more flexible than other Dom/mes as they enjoy the challenge of their submissives. They will enjoying finding new ways to punish and reward behaviour, always trying to stay a step ahead of their brat. They can just be out and out Dominants but can be switches too. As people who enjoy bratting can enjoy taming brats too. They get the brat mind set. if (null === document.getElementById("thinkific-product-embed")) { var s = document.createElement( 'script' ); s.setAttribute('id', 'thinkific-product-embed'); s.setAttribute('src', "https://assets.thinkific.com/js/embeds/product-cards-client.min.js" ); document.getElementById('thinkific-product-1123859').parentNode.appendChild(s); } Learn More

A brat is a submissive who tries very hard to be good but their mischievous nature means they often don’t quite hit the mark. Brats are often naughty but in a playful way. They’re not trying to rebel, they just enjoy encouraging their Dom to take them in hand. Brats like having rules but mostly so they can be broken. They don’t seek out serious and strict Doms because in their heart of hearts they know they’ll never be totally tamed. They’re cheeky and mischievous and love to wind up their top. They are submissive with a fiery core. They try really hard to be good but sometimes being naughty is its own reward. Being naughty gives the brat meaning, it is very much the heart of their dynamic. They will take every opportunity to play up, giving their Dom a challenge and providing extra excitement for themselves. They never know how a top will react to their acts of brattishness, also known as bratting, so they’re kept on their toes. Brats are joyful in all they do, loving their Doms and showing respect but always with the odd moment of naughtiness because that’s what they enjoy the most.

A Master/Mistress is a specific kind of Dominant. They are more likely to take on a 24/7 relationship with their submissive/slave and control all aspects of their sub’s life. There may be exceptions, for example when the partners are at work, otherwise a Master/Mistress is in control all of the time. They will train their slaves to serve them in the way they enjoy. This will include domestic chores and service as well as sexual and kink aspects of their lives. Some expect their slaves to ask permission to eat, use the bathroom and other mundane acts, taking control of everything their submissive does. Of course, all this is pre-agreed. It may all be written down in a formal contract or may have been discussed in advance. There will be ways for the slave to express discomfort and to say no when they don’t want to do something. This could be in the forum of a safeword or something else that is pre-agreed. Even though the relationship seems very one-sided, it is consensual. A Master/Mistress has their slave’s well-being at heart and will never make them do anything that is unsafe or they won’t like, that is part of the nature of the trust and control between them.

Slaves are submissives who totally give all control over to their Master/Mistress. The main difference from other submissives is that they hand over control of all their life, 24/7 to their top. There can be pre-agreed exceptions to this rule. For the purposes of work for example but by vast majority a slave hands over all decision making to their Dom. BDSM slaves are happiest when serving a Dominant. They tend to not have limits with their Master/Mistress. This is because their dynamic is very close. The Dominant knows his/her slaves limits and keeps to them. This is a very unique relationship and is one to build up to. Slaves start out as submissives first and after time become a slave. Slaves, even more so than submissives, tend to wear some kind of symbol of their BDSM slave status. This can be a collar or a piece of jewellery that symbolises their belonging to their Dominant. Slaves give complete trust to their Dominant, freeing their minds from worry and responsibility. It is a very unique roll and one that only certain submissives can take on.

Experimentalists are really eager to try out new things. They are incredibly curious and ask lots and lots of questions. They want to find out all they can about all kinds of kinks and fetishes before having a go themselves. They're always up for trying something different and are going to be interested in what you want to do, as their curiosity and openness mean they’re very rarely judgemental. New ideas are what keep the experimentalist happy. Reading about things and asking questions about certain scenes or activities is where most experimentalists start but once they have a grip on an idea they want to give it a go themselves. It’s very important for an experimentalist to get all the safety information before jumping into trying out an activity themselves. Their eagerness can lead them into dangerous situations for experimentalists need to be reined in sometimes for their own safety.