Pet rocks were a 1970s fad conceived by California salesman Gary Dahl . A pet rock was an ordinary rock with two eyes glued onto it and a nose and mouth drawn in below, and was marketed as if it were a live pet.

In 1975, Dahl established "Rock Bottom Productions", a company that sold the rocks for $3.95 apiece. The rocks came nestled in straw, contained in a small box similar to a pet carrier. A "Pet Rock Training Manual" was included on how to properly raise and care for your newfound pet (notably lacking instructions for feeding). People who purchased these unusual "pets" often gave them names, talked to them, petted them, and taught them to perform simple "tricks".

The instruction manual contained several commands that could be taught to the new pet. While "sit" and "stay" were fairly easy to accomplish, "roll over" usually required extra effort on the part of the trainer. "Come" was found to be impossible to teach reliably.

The advent of electronic toys gave a new twist to the idea: a Ragin' Rocky talking rock from Playmates Toys .

External links

• Virtual pet rock Contains details about Gary Dahl and fads.