Beethoven's Big Break
part of Beethoven

When the film opens, a St. Bernard puppy (later named Beethoven) and some other dogs are stolen from a pet shop by two thieves. Beethoven manages to escape from the thieves and sneaks into the home of the Newton family. The father, George, doesn't want the responsibility of owning a dog, but his wife, Alice, and children convince him. While trying to name the dog, the youngest daughter, Emily, plays a portion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and the puppy barks along, thus he is named Beethoven. Initially, George only focuses on Beethoven's negative aspects: scratching the door, shedding on the furniture, dining off the kitchen counter, and otherwise chewing the house apart. He becomes especially frustrated with Beethoven after the dog storms in on a barbecue the Newtons are hosting for two potential investors for George's air freshener company. However, the rest of family grows more attached to Beethoven, who helps the children overcome their problems in various ways, such as frightening off the bullies that are bothering Ted, helping the eldest girl, Ryce, talk to her crush, and saving Emily's life when she falls in their babysitter's swimming pool.

Beethoven's 2nd is a 1993 family film, and the first sequel to the 1992 film, Beethoven. It starred Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt, and Beethoven's four puppies, Tchaikovsky, Chubby, Dolly, and Mo.

The Newton family is on a cross country vacation to join a Newton family reunion in California and to make sure Beethoven arrives safely they send him to the reunion with George Newton's brother Richard. Beethoven follows Richard Newton and his family of a nagging wife and two bratty kids as they hit the road to California in a huge, shiny and expensive RV, equipped with a DVD player. Following them are two bumbling criminals who have hidden some secret codes on a DVD that they assume no one would ever buy (The Shakiest Gun in the West). Richard, however, is that someone who did buy the movie. The criminals are now following the Newton family, trying to get their DVD back.

When Sara takes Beethoven to spend summer vacation with wacky Uncle Freddie in an old mining town, the mischievous canine "digs up" the missing clue to a legendary hidden fortune. Now everybody wants to be the dog's best friend as his discovery unleashes a frenzy of treasure hunting among the community's cast of kooky characters. But the sheriff shoots dead the ghosts & Beethoven was "declared" a hero.