Moscow, late 1924. Professor F.F. Preobrazhensky, along with his assistant Dr. Bormendal, undertake a daring medical experiment. They transplant the pituitary gland and the testes of a young man into the stray dog Sharik. However, the outcome of the experiment is completely unexpected. The gentle Sharik transforms into an unbearable boor who scorns every rule of propriety and disrupts the serene daily life in the aristocratic apartment of the internationally renowned professor. In this satirical science fiction novella, Mikhail Bulgakov mocks every would-be reformer as well as daily life in Russia in the early years after the revolution.