Getting a picture with Santa Claus is a yearly tradition for many families. Even our fur babies get in on the fun with plenty of retail stores offering to take a photo of your dog with Jolly Old St. Nick. We tried it once with my Dachshund and while she went along with the idea, she looked less than thrilled in the picture.
Winston the Golden Retriever may share the same sentiment. His mom and aunt recently took him to a nearby “North Pole” for a photo op with Santa but the precious pooch’s expression spoke volumes.
In the TikTok from @wackowinston, the Golden Retriever was in a retail store for a meeting and picture with the big man himself. Santa kneeled on the floor toward Winston and gently pulled his leash toward him, but Winston wasn’t having it. The frightened fur baby backed up in the hopes of making a break for it.
“POV Your auntie took you to see Santa but you’re absolutely terrified,” the onscreen text read.
The next clip showed Winston practically glued to a woman sitting in a chair as Santa tried petting him to get acquainted. The hesitant pooch just gave him the side-eye, hoping he would get the hint. Winston’s mom and aunt could be heard encouraging him to give Santa a chance.
Finally, Santa was able to lean down in a sort of half-hug around Winston. The distressed dog had a look on his face that seemed to say, “when is this over?!”
Despite Winston’s obvious trepidation, the picture was taken and the pooch completed the task.
Pet Parents Related to the Somewhat Stressful Photo Session
Followers shared their own stories of how their canine cuties reacted to meeting Santa Claus.
“My Golden was growling at Santa — I had to go over and touch his hand for her to trust him. Now she loves him,” one wrote.
“My girls would definitely side-eye me the whole time and ask for sanitizer if they could talk,” another posted.
“Mine hated Santa and ripped his beard off — Santa was not happy,” someone admitted.
Regardless of his reluctance, Winston now has a keepsake of his introduction to Santa. Maybe his mom and aunt will skip the photo next year!
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.