Sweet dog named Saga spends 8 months trying to make friends with a wild deer, then finally gets his wish when the deer joins him for a snowy playdate in Ohio

Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor

Nov 14, 2026 8:15 AM EST

Who said a dog and a deer could be best friends?

But this is not a matter of species. It's just animals being animals. Animals playing around. They don't care if one is a pet and the other is a wild animal; they are animals all the same, and they apparently understand each other. Nature doing its thing, right?

And is there anything sweeter than someone who wants to spend time with us just as much as we want to spend time with them? That's probably how this dog felt after getting to play with the deer in the snow. According to the video, the dog spent eight months trying to get the wild deer to play with him. Eight months. And he finally made it! I guess it might feel like getting excited when your friend finally confirms the plans after rescheduling. Well, Saga had been waiting much longer for this afternoon in the snow.

You can find the video at the end of the post, but first I gathered a few screenshots of this wholesome animal encounter. First, you need to appreciate these pictures. Look at how lovely they look together! I love the moment when their noses meet.

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What hard work! Eight months waiting for some playtime. Finally! It's high time! It's so cute that Saga lowers the front of his body as he gets close to the deer, and the deer finally understands what he wants to do. They start chasing each other around the snow, as if they had been besties all along! And the snow makes the whole scene look especially lovely. This moment looks like a Christmas card brought to life. Do your afternoon plans look as cute as the plans of this sweet duo?
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Watching Saga makes me think about how lovely it feels when a friend shares my enthusiasm. I want to do something; they want to do it with me, and the plan is even better. I feel this when I get together with my friends to play music. It's not the same as playing alone. My afternoon turns a lot more interesting when there's a bass and a guitar!
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Hey, I wasn't the only one interested in this doggo's social life. People in the comments had a few things to say about this little encounter…
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And here's the video I promised. Because we can love the picture but we also want to see this wholesome event in motion! Below you can watch Saga finally get his snowy playdate all over again. I’ll be playing it on loop.
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