Nobody Looks Good in That Moment

The face has about one millisecond—just before the sneeze—where everything gives up at once. Eyes wrong, mouth distorted, whatever usually maintains the illusion of composure gone all at the same time. It looks terrible on humans, and a collection of perfectly timed photos confirms it looks exactly as bad on dogs. Maybe worse on dogs, because they have no capacity for retrospective embarrassment.

Pure biology is funny in a way almost nothing else is. The body going about its business with complete indifference to the face’s ongoing reputation.