[Apr 07 02 7:49 PM] McGruff writes:
Beginning with the episode 'Betty Jo's Dog' in which he follows Betty Jo home and is allowed to stay against Kate's better judgment, the dog was a regular cast member, and remained so throughout the rest of the series. Although his name was Higgins, on the show he was called simply 'Dog.' Curiously, one episode in the fifth season is called 'Higgins Come Home' but that name is never uttered by the characters in any of the episodes; at least, not intentionally. In 'Dog Turns Playboy' when the title character arrives just in time for a show of which he is the star, after wasting time elsewhere, the human performers descend upon him, thrilled at his arrival. In the midst of the multi-layered voices, someone clearly blurts out, "Higgins!" Though he was retired shortly after the end of Petticoat Junction, Higgins later came out of retirement to launch a career in movies as Benji, starring in the first two films of the series. His offspring have carried on the legacy in subsequent films.
[Apr 07 02 7:56 PM] barbs42 writes:
The dog on Petticoat Junction, whose real name was 'Higgins', was named simply 'Dog' on the show. They did occassionally call him 'Boy' such as "Here, boy!" when looking for him, but his official name was 'Dog'. Paul Henning was going to hold a nation-wide contest to name the dog but he was so busy with 'The Beverly Hillbillies' that it never came about.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petticoat_Junction
http://www.mortystv.com/feat1-2.shtml
[Links added -- Zb]
