On the topic of training and kink, I think one of the most fun kink group activities for me over the past like half year has been playing the training game. I've probably spent at least ten hours playing it with friends over five sessions or so over the past several months.
So, the training game comes from Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot the Dog. A book on animal training that I highly recommend. It's played with anywhere from three to ten people, ideally in the same room (though we've made discord calls work for international friends). All you need is an open space (it doesn't even need to be clean), and something like a clicker (whistling or snapping works, if everyone can snap).
To play, one person is designated the 'animal', and sent out of the room, where they're expected to not listen in. One person is designated the 'trainer' and given the clicker, and the trainer along with the group will then decide on some simple task. I've seen "hug a blahaj", "sit still on your bed for thirty seconds", "twirl and then curtsy", "do a push-up", "put the dirty dishes away", "kiss two plushies together", "crawl towards me on all fours", "throw a specific plush", "put your head in your hands", "take off your shirt", and "touch your nose to the bed". To name a few.
Then, the animal is summoned back into the room. No one is allowed to talk (except the animal, though the things they say might as well be barking for all they matter), and the trainer must through using only clicks guide the animal into performing the desired behavior. Standard practice is for the first few clicks to do a full reset of the room (with the animal leaving and returning) after, and occasionally to do a reset from then on. Thus, the goal of the animal is to try different behaviors and through trial and error physically discover the task. Everyone except for the animal and the trainer is to merely watch, and while they are permitted to laugh or groan non-volitionally, they are discouraged strongly from attempting to communicate directly.
The fun of the training game, in a kink sense, is severalfold. First, the animal's behavior is directly being shaped by the game. They are being forced to think with their body, and they are simultaneously the center of attention and being analyzed. The trainer meanwhile is directly getting to shape their behavior, and enjoying that power dynamic. There is something truly special about guiding a sub into what might normally be a demeaning behavior, or just forcing them to do something cute on your command.
The utility of the training game, in a training sense, is simple. It teaches you how to understand how an animal perceives the world, it teaches you how to communicate without language, and it teaches you the importance of timing in operant conditioning. Finally, it teaches proper usage of a clicker. All of this is, if you have a kink for training, immensely useful.
I really enjoy the skill expression of it. Learning how to time the clicks to keep your animal satisfied with a difficult task, learning how to time the clicks to keep your animal from going down the wrong path, learning how to read what your animal is thinking on their body language and react accordingly. ...Also I'm probably like. one of the worst in my group at being the animal. There is a certain headspace with it, it rewards thinking with your body and not your mind. And I'm not good at that! I should also note that it can end up being a pretty good exercise for the animal.
The "discord call" adaptation of the training game works less well along a few factors. You'll all want to make sure you are intimately aware of exactly how long the ping delay for sending a "click" is, and I recommend highly using the soundboard for it. I will note that while the animal will need video, and a camera that can see a wide range to move, the trainer doesn't. I found the adaptation to be somewhat less euphoric but sometimes even more rewarding with difficult prompts.
Finally, playing it. I recommend rotating through animals and trainers, so everyone gets to be in each role at least once. Ideally, with every possible permutation. Additionally, try to start with very simple objectives, like picking up a specific object or making a specific movement. Gradually increasing the difficulty over time will make the game more exciting. It can be as quick as a single round or as long as multiple hours of play. It is fairly involved, but I think keeping it low stakes is for the best.
Anyway, the training game is, as you can see, not explicitly sexual in any way. And depending on the choice of objectives, it can lean more or less erotic, though being the designate 'animal' and 'trainer' will always be erotic to the right ppl. If you have a kink group, it can work as a pre-scene activity, or even just a casual thing to play while other things are happening. If you're interested at all, I highly recommend getting a group together and trying it sometime.
