When snow piles high enough for kids to go outside and enjoy a bit of sledding or tubing or snowball fighting, chances are good that there will be a dog nearby, enjoying himself every bit as much as the kids. The Kyoot Animals video below shows a dog goofing around on the ice, photobombing a family’s recording of their toddler checking out the snow — the dog crawls across the screen, pulling himself along by his front legs with his back legs dragging behind and his tail wagging with quiet glee.

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Have you ever wondered why, exactly, dogs seem to love snow so much?

A collection of canine experts were asked the same question in a January 2015 article for Scientific American and many of the experts pointed out that dogs love the change in scenery. “(Predators love change, prey animals hate it),” said Dr. Patricia McConnell, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “(Snow) turns the world into one big play room for animals that love to play.”

There’s also an element of novelty to consider. “Seasoned sled dogs rarely show the enthusiasm for fresh snow typical of novice players,” points out Dr. Paul McGreevy of the University of Sydney. “Fresh odors to sniff, novel tactile experiences to enjoy, unusual outlines to mask familiar objects and even the prospect of hiding within the very fabric of one’s surroundings. What’s not to love?”