I feel like there is something universally healing about watching a dog see snow again. Every single time Gus steps into winter, he reacts as if he has just discovered magic for the first time. So when I came across this video of a golden retriever named Nova seeing snow for the first time in two years, I knew exactly what was coming. Pure joy. Pure chaos. Pure dog energy at its absolute finest.
The viral clip, shared by @novathegoldengal, shows Nova trotting outside on a trip to Park City and realizing that the ground is suddenly cold and fluffy. The moment she figures out what it is, she completely lights up. She does the little prance, the wide-eyed look, the hesitation that lasts half a second before she launches into the full snow-hype sprint. You can see the exact millisecond her brain goes, “Oh. Snow. My moment has arrived.”
In the caption, Nova’s owner writes, “The moment my golden retriever sees snow for the first time in two years and my heart can’t handle it.” And honestly, same. There is something about goldens meeting snow that feels like watching someone reconnect with their childhood. The whole comment section agrees. One viewer wrote, “Aww, she’s so happy,” while another said, “This made my entire day.” People love a wholesome golden, and Nova delivers.
Seeing the Winter Wonderland Again
In Green/shutterstock.com
The clip also hits extra hard because two years is a long time for a retriever to go without snow. You can feel the pent-up zoomies waiting to be unleashed. This is not casual winter behavior. This is a dog experiencing her destiny. The snowy background, the mountain air, the excited tail that refuses to stay still—it is the perfect recipe for a winter reunion video that the internet will replay all season.
As more people discover the clip, Nova is quickly becoming the unofficial face of winter joy. It is a simple moment, but it taps into why so many of us adore goldens. They don’t hold back. They don’t overthink it. They just feel everything fully, dramatically, and with their whole body. And now that Nova has rediscovered snow, something tells me she is not letting another two years go by before her next reunion.
Related: Golden Retriever Has the Most Annoyed Look on His Face While Dad Gives Him ‘Fake Pets’
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Dec 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.