When young Chantal Stacey, the daughter of a French mother and a Boston father, meets and falls in love with a marriage-shy commercial photographer, Eugene Wright, she successfully follows her mother's advice. After the wedding, however, Eugene starts to take Chantal for granted, and she again turns to her mother for help. This time she is instructed to train her husband as though he were a pet dog. Eugene responds well enough until he learns of the "dog theory" from Chantal's snide girl friend, Tina. He storms out of the apartment, and Chantal's mother again comes to the rescue with another marital trick: she invents a lover for Chantal, telephones her repeatedly, and then hangs up whenever Eugene answers. Eugene, however, discovers the hoax and retaliates with one of his own. He tells Chantal that her secret lover telephoned and is on his way over. The stunned Chantal is shocked when a handsome, older man appears. Eventually, he is revealed to be Eugene's father, and all ends happily as Chantal and Eugene are reunited by the news that they will soon become parents.