I got a dog. My online life changed overnight.

I think I should have been surprised. The TikTok algorithm seems to know you better than you do.

My entire online life changed when I got my dog. My TikTok For You Page was suddenly dog video after dog video. My ads were all about dog products. At least there was a cesspool of my own choosing.

Life before Henry was completely different online. I had interests. I like air fried food, I like NBA basketball, and I spent a lot of time thinking about grilling. The interests were displaced by the algorithms screaming "You have a dog!"

Take a look at my dog. If you will, a quick Henry break.

Look at that smooshy face. Credit: Mashable

Look. At. That. There is a face. I like that dog. Anyway.

The adoption of Henry was finalized in November of 2021. We brought him home in an Ikea bag with blankets. I can't say when my personal internet changed, but I think it was Nov. 16, 2021. It felt immediate.

Cute dog videos are a staple on the internet, but this was different. It was more specific and aimed at dog owners. TikToks was giving me instructions on how to properly crate your dog. It was something you didn't know about. There are many products.

Today, I checked the social network. I swiped through some of my friends stories. Here are the ads I was served. There is an apartment that is dog friendly. My real estate agent knows I have a dog.

My life is all dog ads now. Credit: Screenshots: Instagram: Bark Bright / earthlypets / Streeteasy

You can forget about TikTok. I began to notice that my online life was changing. The For You Page of the app seems to know everything about you. Since we got Henry, that has been the case.

In a row, I will go five or six videos without seeing anything but dogs. It is not a huge problem, but it is different than my pre-Henry feed. I had a lot of random cooking and exercise videos. One day I was served at least 10 dog videos on TikTok in less than three minutes of scrolling, with most of them coming three or four in a row. It was all dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Credit: Screenshots: TikTok: @dorhor / @rosieadventures / @justinfloyd

The specificity is the most interesting thing about this shift in my online life. Although I am, I am not seeing more stuff about dogs. The content is tailored to my life as a dog owner. Henry is just six months old and is a huge part of my life. I think it is an ad for veterinary or animal health care, which I think is a result of my many searches on the internet about my sick puppy. I suppose I would have blasted the advice on which treats to give your dog.

Here are more pictures of Henry.

HENRY. HENRY. HENRY. Credit: Mashable

My social feeds know that I am interested in dog content. Look at this post. The pictures of my dog are unnecessary to the story. I am obsessed with the little guy. The algos would pick that up.

Dr. Emilee Rader, a researcher at Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts and Sciences, has talked about how much a program picks up.

One thing that is important to keep in mind is that these systems are recording data about everything we do. They take into account how long you spend on a post, what you scroll through, and which links you click on. They are taking signals and data and painting a picture of you. The system uses that data to choose what to show you.

The internet has a clear picture of me. I have a dog. I'm obsessed. I want to know every last training tip, feeding hack, and video of a dog running around. My online life has completely changed due to Henry. It is my own doing. I looked into my ad interests and they were full of dog-related terms. The terms include Your Dog Magazine, Your Cat Magazine, Maltese (dog), Pedigree Petfoods, Animal Planet, and Welsh Corgi.

I could set my ad preferences to include less dog content, but why would I? My puppy is a big part of my life, no matter what way you slice it. The difference between online and offline life is hard to comprehend. Most of my life is online in New York City, which is in the midst of a cold and flu season. Having a puppy is a major life change, but it isn't like having a human child. I spend most of my day thinking about the next time I have to walk Henry, or make sure he doesn't eat the strings from his toy. Henry is a big part of my life.

There is a year in the future. It was just a matter of time before I took over my online life as a dog owner. I don't mind. Who would be upset by that face?