How can I tell my friend to stop sending me dog photos without sounding like a b#tch?

[Moonlightfrog]

I need help. I have a friend who sends me like 10 photos and videos of their dog every day. I love dogs but it’s getting really boring, to the point I don’t reply to them, or change the subject, I often don’t even open the videos. The puppy is cute but it’s like someone sending 100’s of photos of their ugly baby (which I also wouldn’t appreciate). This friend is a male…if that makes a difference and they don’t seem to be getting the message despite me ignoring the dog photos. I think they have sent me 2 videos and a few photos already today.

In my head I just want to say “stop sending bloody dog photos, it’s boring” but I don’t want to sound like a complete cow.

How do I get it to stop?

"he's super cute but he's filling up all the memory on my phone, I can't delete them day enough, ha ha"

I'd send that.

A carefully-worded message?

"Hi, John - hope you're OK. I've really loved getting the videos of your gorgeous pup and I'm so happy you're excited about this, but - and I have to be honest with you here - I perhaps don't love him/her/it quite as much as you do! So, perhaps, from now on, you could only send me a video when he/she/it does something really special, such as learns to play the tin whistle. Is that OK? Love, Jemima xxx"

“With respect I’d like to unsubscribe from the doggy updates now”

I love this, friendly yet to the point.

And yes it does also fill my memory up on my phone.

Classic! 🤣

He'll be offended however you word it, so good luck!

"I don't care about your bloody dog, Brian" is what I'd send. But you might be nicer than me.

The memory suggestion is a good one.

Well tbh he will be offended with every single response same as if you told someone to stop sending pix kf their baby to you!
You can turn the setting for WhatsApp automatically saving pictures to your phone off.
I'd just ignore and thumbs up/heart a few every few days.
And talk about other stuff if you are friends who chat/text. Or just arrange an irl meet to hang out

Or tell him that his dog is so cute and to make an Instagram and put the pics up on there for everyone to see lol

I’d just mute him and respond every now and again

‘You do know photos of dogs are like those of kids and holidays, right? Only interesting, and then in small doses, to those they belong to.’

Turn on disappearing messages for the chat.

I’d just ignore it. Mute and archive the chat.

This is a good idea. “The pics take up loads of memory space on my phone Charlie, how about putting them on Instagram instead”

perhaps, from now on, you could only send me a video when he/she/it does something really special, such as learns to play the tin whistle. Is that OK?

😆

"I'm sure there are so many people out there who would appreciate these photos of Fido. It seems such a shame that currently it's only me getting the joy of seeing them"|

start sending him 10 photos a day of something in your life? like every cup of tea you have? This very much depends on the kind of friend he is though. I'm guessing he needs handling more delicately if you've come here?! I think by this point with all of my friends I'd have been able to say "this is a lot of dog content" and screenshot my photos to show the quantity of puppy footage they've sent.

😂

It really depends on how you normally speak to each other, but I'd be tempted by the tin whistle.

This really did make me laugh! I once worked with a very sweet, lovely older woman who was semi-retired. She’d never had children and she was basically like every eccentric academic ever in films/TV series- the way you picture old academics in your head. I loved her but my god did she love her dog… She even printed off a photo for me one day and insisted I take it!

The dog wasn’t particularly cute tbh, it was a Jack Russell and also I don’t really like dogs much but liked her so dealt with it. Actually still have a card she gave me once with dogs all over it and she’d drawn an arrow from the Jack Russell and put her dogs name!

Anyway, I don’t even have a solution to your problem because I was too fond of this colleague to dare say anything but I know your pain.

"Bloody hell! You've got a dog! How have you never mentioned that before????"

My poor mil gets at least 50 photos a day from sil - it’s like every night she does a data dump and the notifications are going off for at least 5 mins at dinner time. It’s been going on for 8 years. The kids expect her to document every moment when they are with her too!!

Buy a goldfish, or a tortoise, and reciprocate.

I love this idea, it reminds me of a few years ago when a friend had her first baby, she’d send at least two photos a day. I started responding with pictures of my plants. She found it hilarious!

Ask him for something else for variety. Ten pictures of motorbikes or aircraft engines.