# Why do dogs react with insane joy to snow? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817 "2017-12-07T19:30:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/1 "2017-12-07T19:30:35Z")
I wonder if the snow covers up all the smells that are familiar to the dog and everywhere he goes it’s a brand new world to him. I’ve seen dogs react the same way when they go a stranger’s house for the first time: racing all around to every room, tailing wagging furiously. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MYg9RbY_N4) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/2 "2017-12-07T19:32:38Z")
I don’t know why either, but I’ve had several dogs, and they all reacted the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/3 "2017-12-07T19:35:47Z")
We had two dogs at the same time. One acted like a complete nut and loved it. The other one walked on snow like it was lava and couldn’t wait to come inside. Dogs don’t all act the same. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/4 "2017-12-07T19:37:34Z")
Since this requires speculation, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/5 "2017-12-07T19:52:43Z")
Not all dogs react like that, for sure - but that video was hella cute 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/6 "2017-12-07T20:12:53Z")
My little dogs hated snow. The one who absolutely loved it was part husky, which I think explains it. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/7 "2017-12-07T20:25:23Z")
One or two loved it - the biggest one, the GSD, not so much. The one that was part coyote was pretty indifferent. My most recent one, part Border Collie, like it when there was something he could watch walking on it - a squirrel, etc. Otherwise, a good snow got to that one’s belly and that did NOT amuse him in the least. All three begged for towel drying when they came in or they’d dry off on one of us. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/8 "2017-12-07T20:40:37Z")
I think one of the things they like is that it brings down new smells for them to revel in. I don’t know, all my dogs have loved it. The current one likes to make a dog version of the snow angel (otherwise known to me as a snow-dog wallow). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/9 "2017-12-07T20:55:49Z")
Because dogs are basically super agile 3 year-old humans? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/10 "2017-12-07T21:50:45Z")
My Bichon Frise certainly loves the snow. I know if _I_ was walking around naked with my junk barely an inch above the ground, I’d avoid the snow, but not him! ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/11 "2017-12-07T22:23:02Z")
My dogs have varied in their reactions. Some act like it’s raining money, and other act like it’s raining fire. My GSD puppy goes crazy with joy just for water. She thinks everything is the world’s biggest party. I’m looking forward to her first snow. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/12 "2017-12-08T02:29:14Z")
I had a diminutive black lab that I got while living in Montana. “Darcy”, actual real name, loooooooooved the snow. She could frolic like no other. I took her down to New Mexico to see my Ma, and on a hot summer day, we visited the White Sands. It was hot in the car, we were hot, Darcy was hot, and we drove into the White Sands National Monument park, and Darcy saw those big beautiful hills of snow white… gypsum. She couldn’t wait to get out. It was pretty funny, but I really felt sorry for her. She bounced into the dune and came up with a big mouthful of… gypsum. We had to go back to the information center to get her some water. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/13 "2017-12-08T02:55:54Z")
I’ve had two dogs, and neither of them liked snow a single bit. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/14 "2017-12-08T03:18:49Z")
Most of mine have loved the snow, but I do have one now who looks around for Sir Walter Raleigh when she has to go out in it. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/15 "2017-12-08T03:22:48Z")
My dogs have been about 50-50 on snow over the years. My current two aren’t thrilled about snow that continues to remain on the ground after a day or do, but they love to dash around and chase the flakes while they are falling. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/16 "2017-12-08T09:54:25Z")
My Beagle reacts with suspicion and guarded skepticism. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/17 "2017-12-08T10:29:19Z")
The pup in that video was cute as all get-out. I think it’s the smells. They’re blanketed. The world looks similar, but it’s all new. Plus, it’s snow! Let’s go out and play! ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/18 "2017-12-08T21:43:51Z")
I think this phenomenon is one of the things we are never going to figure out - not in our lifetimes, anyway - and we simply get to enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/19 "2017-12-08T21:55:49Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I think this phenomenon is one of the things we are never going to figure out - not in our lifetimes, anyway - and we simply get to enjoy it. Yeah, where I live, the wind causes the snow to drift into piles 3 or 4 feet deep right outside my front door. I used to have a small cocker-poodle-other mutt that would excitedly, with joyous-abandon-aforethought, go racing out the door and leap right into the snow, disappearing entirely, just so he could dig his way out and destroy the drift in the process. Total mystery to me why the dog loved that so much. wish I had a video, but that pet is 15 years gone into the Great Dog Park In The Sky. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817/20 "2017-12-08T21:56:44Z")
[This brief video](https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/videos/1025357334265608/?fref=pb&hc_location=friends_tab&pnref=friends.all) illustrates how dogs react differently to snow. My labs enjoyed it - the Cavaliers, no way. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-react-with-insane-joy-to-snow/803817.md?page=2)