Calvin Wheeler, a 13-year-old slacker, is determined to buy a rare comic book that's being sold for $3000. In order to raise the money, he adopts a mutt from the pound and enters him in a prestigious dog show offering a $5000 prize.
Calvin Wheeler is a scheming 13-year-old boy with everything going for him; all that’s missing is a rare issue in his comic book collection. While skateboarding one day, he's chased by a prized show dog whose owner tells him that show dogs can win substantial cash. Calvin decides to adopt, train and show a dog of his own in hopes of winning enough prize money to buy his comic book. But at the rescue shelter, the only dog available is Tyko, an uncouth stray Labrador/St. Bernard mix, who proves to be more than anybody can handle. Can Calvin train Tyko and win the prize?