Scarleteen

yo scarleteen, if anyone here has been into, done, or otherwise knows stuff about puppy play in terms of bdsm, i'd like to know! not planning on doing any play with partners or anything just want some info because it's a subject I've gotten mixed information about

I don't know much, but I'm a little bit into pet play in general. What kind of info are you specifically looking for?

Like just general info, or what puppy/pet play pertains to?

anything really

Okay, hmm... So, I guess I'll start with the basic gist. So, basically there's an owner and pet (dom/sub equivalents, for this type of play), there really isn't much risk involved. (Unless a scene involves something that has risks, like collars being chained or tied to something.) There isn't too much I can go into detail because pet play is a little too diverse. Although, typical things like outfits, acting like the pet (whatever pet it may be?), collars, and maybe even themed toys may be part of it.

ok, thanks! I actually already knew most of that but my issue was some sources i found said it was an extreme thing where you always have to be 'in-role' with muzzles and such, while others said it was what you said, a broad term for a loosely defined type of BDSM

Yes, while it could be like that it's a bit of spectrum.

You know, I think any time you get a perspective on something kink-related that says you "always" have to do it a certain way, or that someone has to stick to a certain role at all times, that's a pretty clear sign that you can discount that source, or at least take what it has to say with a huge grain of salt.
People can get into puppyplay (or other pet play) for a lot of different reasons. For some folks there's an element of humiliation and others don't want any of that at all! There can be an ownership component or more of a friendly/protective one. And physical accessories may or may not be used, or be a main focus. It's definitely something that's going to vary a lot based on what people want to get out of it and is certainly something you'd want to talk to a potential partner about in detail to make sure you're on the same page in terms of expectations.