Vinyl Inspired Dog Names

Petticoat Junction followed the Bradley family, who run a strange place called the Shady Rest Hotel. Higgins played the role of the Bradley Family's loyal dog while Buchanan played the role of Kate Bradley's eccentric Uncle Joe. Petticoat Junction experienced massive success back in its heyday, becoming popular enough to inspire multiple crossover episodes and an amusement park!  Higgins played a large part in Petticoat Junction's success by offering viewers something that few other shows or films from that era could - an animal actor as a member of the main cast. And to think that Higgins was initially only going to play a small role in the series. 

In his first appearance, Higgins played a dog named Sheba. Sheba belonged to a minor character and only met the Bradley family because his owner was dating the clan's youngest member - Betty Jo. The cast, crew, and audience all loved Higgins so much that the showrunners started searching for ways to make the dog a core member of the series. Petticoat Junction's producers eventually came up with an ingenious idea; during the episode, "Betty Jo's Dog," the titular character would encounter a puppy that reminded her of Sheba. Betty Jo would then take the dog home with her and ask her family if she could keep it. Everyone would more or less be on board, save for Kate herself. 

The adorable dog eventually manages to win over Kate Bradley, earning his place in her home through his charming and loyal demeanor. Overjoyed, the members of the Bradley family each try to name the dog. None of them can all agree on one name, however, so the dog goes without an official title for quite some time. Journalists eventually start calling the Higgins' character "the Shady Rest Dog" and the name sticks. The rest, as they say, is history- Higgins becomes a massive star, leads several Benji movies, and sires generations of puppies who are still acting Hollywood, even to this day.