Beethoven’s Big Break

Eddie Thornton, a struggling animal trainer and widowed father, works as an assistant to Sal DeMarco, an egocentric animal show host. Both men are hired to train animals for the film 'Frizzy', with Eddie responsible for training a lizard and Sal handling the dog. Their roles set the stage for upcoming conflicts and the central event of Frizzy's kidnapping.

Frizzy, the bichon frise dog, is mysteriously kidnapped from the set. Sal blames Eddie for the disappearance, suspecting him of being responsible for the dog handling. The studio’s severe producer Patricia decides not to pay the ransom and instead begins auditioning new dogs, escalating the crisis.

Following Frizzy's kidnapping, Eddie is fired from his position by Patricia. Additionally, his house is wrecked by an oversized stray dog that Billy, Eddie's son, has adopted. These events create a difficult situation for Eddie both professionally and personally.

Billy encounters a large stray dog following him around town and brings him home, naming him Beethoven after the composer. The dog exhibits interest in classical music, initially called Wolfgang, and quickly becomes a significant part of Eddie’s life.

It is uncovered that Sal and his cronies, Tick and Bones, are responsible for kidnapping Frizzy. Sal criticizes his subordinates for waiting to escape with Frizzy until after some filming had been completed, emphasizing his greed and deception.

During the dog auditions for the film, Beethoven bursts in and performs an impressive chase scene with Pete the lizard, capturing the attention of director Stanley. As a result, Beethoven and Eddie are hired, and Sal is fired, saving the day.

Eddie, Billy, and Beethoven celebrate with hamburgers, but Beethoven escapes with the food and leads them to his three pups in an alley—showing his caring nature. Eddie begrudgingly adopts the puppies, expanding his family.

Eddie is tasked with training Beethoven for film stunts, but the dog proves untrainable and causes chaos on set. Despite the mess, director Stanley finds Beethoven’s antics exceptionally funny and decides to include the scenes in the film, adding humor to the project.

Feeling betrayed, Sal orders his henchmen to kidnap Beethoven for a ransom, intending to kill him afterward. The dog is kidnapped while Billy is in the park, leading Eddie, Billy, Lisa, and the puppies to confront Sal’s hideout.

Eddie, Billy, Lisa, and the puppies break into Sal’s secret lair and successfully rescue Beethoven. Sal and his cronies are arrested, bringing a happy resolution to the conflict and restoring harmony for Eddie’s family.

The story concludes with Eddie, Lisa, Billy, Katie, Stanley, Patricia, Beethoven, his pups, Frizzy, and Pete enjoying popcorn at the film’s premiere. The movie ends on a joyful note, celebrating family, friendship, and the bond between humans and animals.

During the end credits, parody film titles such as 'Dog-E', 'When Hairy Met Frizzy', and 'The Lizard of Oz' are shown. The gag reel humorously references Sal DeMarco as 'Ned Ryerson', a nod to the actor Stephen Tobolowsky’s role in 'Groundhog Day'.