As an actor, Higgins first came to national attention as the uncredited dog who played the character of "Dog" on the television sitcom "Petticoat Junction" for six of the show's seven seasons, from 1964 to 1970, appearing in 149 episodes. He guest-appeared on the television sitcom "Green Acres" with Eva Gabor in 1965 and also made a guest appearance on the television sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies". Due to his work in "Petticoat Junction", Higgins received a PATSY Award in 1966 in the television category, and he was cover-featured on an issue of "TV Guide" magazine.