Dagwood is given a Great Dane in lieu of repayment for a personal loan he made to an old buddy. The dog, named "Chin-Up," has a voracious appetite, incurs veterinary bills, and roams around stealing food from several neighbors, causing them to sign a petition to evict the Bumsteads. Blondie is sad that she now cannot afford a hair permanent, buy their first washing machine, or their son a bicycle. Different people involved disagree on whether Chin-Up is valuable or worthless. Despite Chin-Up's undisciplined nature, Blondie finally enters him in a major dog contest, where he wins a $500 prize, although there is confusion whether the dog's rightful owner is the Bumsteads, Mr. Dithers, a kennel owner, or a building client (William Frawley) who Chin-Up had been promised to. Blondie along with a boy scout choir at the dog show, sings the inspirational song Trees.
