[4][5][6][7] The overarching story of each installment, follows Wilbur "Wilby" Daniels (portrayed by varying actors in each individual film) who is cursed and transforms into a large Old English Sheepdog after attaining an ancient Borgian ring and reciting its inscription.

[8] The 1923 Austrian fantasy children's novel by Felix Salten, set during the early eighteenth-century Austria and Italy, served as the inspiration for The Walt Disney Company's Shaggy Dog franchise.

Grassi lost his parents and lives in Vienna, Austria, in poor conditions, and great poverty, but longs to return to his native land Italy, having desires to study art in Florence.

Through supernatural means his wish is magically granted, he must endure taking the form of the archduke's dog, named Kambyses, every-other-day.

Following the events of the original novel, a wholly new ending of six additional pages was written where Lucas[10] survives, receives medication, and is united with a courtesan.

Wilby Daniels, the son of a dog-hating former-mailman named Wilson, accidentally becomes a canine himself when he acquires an ancient Borgian ring and receives its curse.

Inadvertently invoking a magical spell engraved upon the centuries-old jewelry, Wilby begins turning into an Old English sheepdog at unpredictable times.

Managing his transformations and his personal life becomes more complicated when he overhears a plot to steal secret government information while in dog-form.

After returning from vacation only to find his house has been ransacked by burglars, he decides to rid the town of crime by running for district attorney against the corrupt John Slade in the upcoming election.

Just as Wilby begins his campaign, he learns that the Borgian ring that has the power to turn him into a large old English sheepdog has been stolen from a museum.

He realizes that but before he can make things right with his wife and kids, he must find evidence and prove that those individuals responsible for the concoction that causes his affliction are criminals.

The pair seek to stop the henchman, in addition to once again breaking the curse before Wilby and Betty's imminent wedding day.

The story states that Channing's grandfather established the institute, while the area features references to Dean Higgins (Head of the Medfield College, where the events of The Shaggy D.A.

transpire) from the Dexter Riley films, Wayne Szalinski from the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, as well as Dr. Philip Brainard from Flubber.