In the intro, the scientist explains that the next episodes are about smelling and hearing, while Helen accuses T.D. of copying her script. Then, Weaselgraft and Pablum are seen in their building. Weaselgraft asks Pablum for a "treasurer's report", so Pablum gets out a coin, but drops it. The two men chase after it, but it falls down the drain. That's the last of their money, and they're unwilling to get honest jobs, so they decide to steal Martha.
When Helen, T.D., and Martha arrive at the park for a game of fetch, Martha says she wishes she had hands so she could carry things and talk at the same time. Helen and T.D. point out that dogs may lack hands, but they do have a better sense of hearing and smell than humans. Meanwhile, the bad guys set up a crate to lure Martha into. Dr. Pablum tries to make a peanut butter sandwich, but Otis berates him and throws the jar into the back where the crate is.
Martha smells the peanut butter and runs towards it, while Otis yells at Dr. Pablum for being a bad criminal. A police officer walks up, but he didn't hear the conversation; he's more concerned about the criminals parking in a no-parking zone. While they drive off, Martha gets in the car, starts eating the peanut butter, and gets locked in the crate. While Helen wonders where Martha is, Otis, not realising Martha is caught, tries to think of a plan to steal her. Martha doesn't catch on, however, and thinks they're after a different talking dog.
Helen and T.D. wonder where Martha is, while Weaselgraft and Pablum drop Martha off at their building. They start trying to come up with kidnapping plans, while Martha (who couldn't escape before the garage door closed) phones Helen's cell phone. She reveals that she's in Weaselgraft and Pablum's hideout, but doesn't know where that is because she was in a box and thus didn't see anything. Meanwhile, Weaselgraft and Pablum hear noise coming from the other room. Martha tells Helen and T.D. that she didn't see anything, but did smell a few things, and she first smelled something "really fragrant". Otis barges into the room, but Martha hides, then sneaks off.
Helen and T.D. go off to look for Martha, and T.D. wonders if Martha is at Mariella's flower shop. Helen realises that's back the way they came, but then realises that they're near the butcher shop, and meat smells good to Martha. They phone the number she called from and she tells them the smells she smelled, while T.D. and Helen confirm them.
When they get to Martha explaining that she smelled a bad smell, Weaselgraft realises that someone is using the phone and picks a phone up. T.D., disguising his voice by holding his nose, pretends to offer a subscription to Dognapping Monthly and asks Weaselgraft for his address, but Otis hangs up because he claims he and Pablum get "too many magazines already".
Helen and T.D. find the stench (from a garbage dump), while the criminals think they can smell a dirty dog. Otis smells Martha hiding in the trash, but thinks it's just the trash that smells, and the two argue over who should take it out. Just as Helen is about ready to give up hope, Pablum takes out the trash bin, with Martha inside it. Upon seeing the kids, Pablum runs inside in fear, and then Martha pops out of the can. She finishes eating out of the trash, and then the three of them head home.
This episode provides examples of
- Bait-and-Switch: Upon hearing Otis Weaselgraft's ranting, Martha thinks he's talking about a different talking dog. She then says, "Hey, wait a minute!", making it seem like she's caught on, but she's actually talking about the peanut butter.
- Bait-and-Switch Accusation: While Otis Weaselgraft yells at Dr. Pablum about kidnapping a dog, a cop walks up and tells the pair off... for parking in a no-parking zone.
- Bittersweet Ending: As pointed out by Helen, Martha is back, but Weaselgraft and Pablum got away.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Otis and Pablum shudder at the idea of getting an honest job.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Martha hears Weaselgraft talking about stealing a talking dog, Martha says, "I feel bad for that poor talking dog."
- Dogs Love Fire Hydrants: Martha recognises the smell of a fire hydrant, and she doesn't want to reveal how, implying other dogs have peed on them.
- Dramatic Irony: The villains complain about not being able to steal Martha, not knowing that Martha is right under their noses.
- Fingore: The crate lands on Pablum's fingers.
- Insult Backfire: When Helen finds Martha in the trash and tells her she stinks, Martha replies, "Don't I know it!".
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Helen knows that Martha didn't just go home because she doesn't usually leave without saying anything.
- Police Are Useless: The police officer doesn't even hear Otis Weaselgraft yelling about kidnapping a dog.
- Speak in Unison: Otis Weaselgraft and Dr. Pablum say, "Steal the talking dog!" in unison when they decide to kidnap Martha.
