A woman bought 100 identical squeaky ducks to stop her two dogs fighting over one, then watched them ignore the replacements

A pet owner in China tried to settle a daily fight between her two dogs by buying 100 squeaky ducks, and the plan reportedly did nothing to stop it. According to an Instagram reel posted by @chinainsider, the woman lives in Zhejiang province and owns a Bichon and a Pomeranian. The two dogs had been fighting every day over a single yellow duck toy.

In the video, the woman tips over a cardboard box, and dozens of identical yellow ducks still sealed in plastic wrap spill across her living room floor. She then spreads the squeaky ducks around the room as both dogs wander between them. Chinese text on screen says the pair fought over the duck at home every day, so she bought 100 of them and told the dogs to go play.

Later captions tell the dogs there is no need to fight anymore, as each one now gets 50 ducks, and invite them to pick whichever one they like. The footage shows the Pomeranian carrying a duck away while the Bichon sniffs around the pile. However, China Insider claims the dogs ignored the 99 new squeaky ducks and kept brawling over whichever one the other dog had in its mouth.

Commenters say the dogs were never really fighting over the duck

The reel has picked up tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments since it was posted, and most viewers sided with the dogs. Many commenters argued that the toy itself was never the point, as the fun for the two dogs appears to come from taking something away from each other. Several also joked that the owner had misread the situation from the start.

One viewer summed up the dogs’ apparent mindset in four words, writing, “I only want his.” Another commenter said the fun is in fighting each other, adding that there is no fun in biting alone. A third put it even more simply, saying the dogs need each other’s duck, while someone else agreed the real entertainment is the fight and not the toy.

Some viewers were less convinced the experiment was a failure. However, one commenter argued that the dogs had simply shown their owner they only needed one duck each, telling her there was no need to be dramatic. At least one viewer seemed more interested in the squeaky ducks than the dogs, asking in Chinese for a link to buy them.

The choice of toy may not have helped either. According to the American Kennel Club, most dogs gravitate toward toys that mimic prey, as the squeak or the feel of a soft plush toy can be deeply satisfying to them. China Insider made a similar point, claiming the squeak triggers the dogs’ prey drive while the real prize is winning the exchange with each other.

The Bichon and the Pomeranian are not the first pets to lose a toy to a rival on camera, as seen when a fish beat a dog to his ball at a lake. In Zhejiang, the competition came from inside the house, and 100 squeaky ducks apparently did nothing to change which toy each dog wanted.

China Insider says the stockpile of 100 squeaky ducks now sits largely untouched while the original fight carries on. The account also joked that the only winner may be the company that sold the ducks. The owner has not been named, and the post says she first shared the failed experiment on her own social media before the clip spread to Instagram.

With commenters already asking where to buy the toys, the spare ducks could find new homes long before the Bichon and the Pomeranian agree to share one.