What is a pet rock?
A pet rock is an ordinary stone that someone keeps as a pet. It needs no food, no water, no walks, and no vet. The idea became famous in 1975, when a California advertising man named Gary Dahl sold about 1.5 million of them, each in a cardboard pet carrier with a training manual.
The original Pet Rock, 1975
Gary Dahl got the idea at a bar in the San Francisco area, while his friends complained about how much work their pets were. A rock would be no work at all. He took the joke seriously enough to package it, and showed the Pet Rock at a San Francisco gift show in August 1975.
Each one sold for $3.95. In the month before Christmas 1975 he was shipping more than ten thousand rocks a day. More than a million had sold by Christmas, and about 1.5 million in all. The craze lasted roughly six months. A Bicentennial edition in 1976 did not catch on.
The Pet Rock made Dahl a millionaire. He explained it this way:
“I packaged a sense of humor for a very bored public.”
Dahl died in 2015, aged 78.
| Pet Rock fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Year it came out | 1975 |
| Who made it | Gary Dahl, a California advertising man |
| Price | $3.95 |
| How many sold | About 1.5 million |
| How long the craze lasted | About six months |
| The manual | “The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock,” 32 pages |
What came in the box
- The rock. A smooth stone from a beach in Mexico. Dahl paid about a penny for each one.
- The carrier. A small cardboard box built like a pet carrier, with air holes so the rock could breathe.
- The bedding. A nest of wood shavings.
- The manual. A 32-page booklet called “The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock.” It covered commands such as come, stay, roll over, and play dead. Rocks turned out to be very good at playing dead.
The packaging promised that these rocks came “from a long line of famous rocks, the type of rocks found in pyramids and great walls.” The manual was the real product. The rock was there so you had something to read it to.
How to take care of a pet rock
A pet rock needs nothing. That is the whole appeal. Most owners do a few things anyway:
- Choose it. A smooth stone that fits in your hand works best. Pick one up somewhere collecting is allowed, since many parks ask you to leave rocks where they are.
- Wash it. Water and a little soap. Let it dry completely.
- Name it. The rock will not answer to it, but you will.
- Give it a face, if you like. Googly eyes and craft glue, or acrylic paint on a clean, dry rock. A coat of clear sealer keeps the paint from chipping.
- Give it a place. A small box with shredded paper, a shelf, or the corner of a desk.
- Train it. It already knows stay and play dead. Roll over takes some help from you.
| Need | What a pet rock requires |
|---|---|
| Food | None |
| Water | None, apart from the occasional wash |
| Exercise | None. It can be carried. |
| Vet visits | None |
| Attention | Optional. It will not complain either way. |
Pet rocks today
The Pet Rock keeps coming back. The toy company Super Impulse bought the rights in 2022 and revived the brand. The film studio A24 made an official Pet Rock to go with Everything Everywhere All at Once. In South Korea, pet rocks became popular in the 2020s as something calm to keep nearby, used for meditation or for venting after a long day.
You do not need to buy one. Any rock qualifies.
A virtual pet rock
Rock Sitter is a pet rock you keep in a web browser. His name is Gerald. You watch him, and every so often something happens: a snail passes, a bird sits down, it rains. There are 52 events to collect in the Rock Log, and the Rock Log guide explains how they work. It is free, with no download and no sign-up.
Questions
Is a pet rock a real pet?
It is a real rock and a pretend pet. A pet rock is not alive. People keep one as a joke, as a craft project, or as a calm thing to have on a desk.
Who invented the Pet Rock?
Gary Dahl, a California advertising man, introduced the Pet Rock in August 1975.
How much did a Pet Rock cost?
$3.95 in 1975. The rock itself cost Dahl about a penny.
How many Pet Rocks were sold?
About 1.5 million. More than a million sold before Christmas 1975.
What do you feed a pet rock?
Nothing. A pet rock does not eat, drink, or need walks.
Can you still buy a Pet Rock?
Yes. The brand was revived after the toy company Super Impulse bought the rights in 2022. You can also make your own for free from any rock.
Is there a virtual pet rock?
Yes. Rock Sitter is a free virtual pet rock at rocksitter.com. You babysit a rock named Gerald in your browser and collect the things that happen to him.
Sources
The history on this page comes from Wikipedia’s Pet Rock article, The Strong National Museum of Play, ABC News, and Boing Boing. Rock Sitter is not connected to the Pet Rock brand.