One of TV’s most beloved actors was an unnamed one — and it wasn’t a person, either.

Petticoat Junction was another one of those Paul Henning TV gems, joining the ranks of The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. The series followed the misadventures of the family staff at the Shady Rest Hotel in Hooterville.

Bea Benaderet, one of the show’s main stars, was a fan-favorite character for many viewers. She was also a favorite castmate for one co-star in particular: the dog on Petticoat Junction, known on the show as "Doggy."

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Turns out, the dog was Benaderet’s favorite cast member, too. According to a 1964 interview with the Sioux City Journal, Benaderet was a confirmed dog lover.

"He’s so great you’d have to be an idiot not to admire him," Benaderet said.

Most actors had to deal with scene-stealing co-stars, but for Benaderet, the dog was one thief she welcomed with open arms... and a few pets. The dog served several purposes in the series: forming a connection with the audience at home, acting as a plot device and providing comic relief.

"Any time you are going to worry about a dog stealing a scene, you simply aren’t concerned with your show," Benaderet said. "Anything that makes a good ingredient, I’m for."

The dog was certainly a great ingredient for the series. He was trained by Garrie Worshaver, who used silent hand signals while standing behind the scenes. Benaderet said she swore the dog not only knew what a camera was, but knew when it was on him.

"The other day, we were doing a scene when all of a sudden he discovered a blanket on the floor,," Benaderet said. "He went after it, played with it, rubbed his back on it... all on camera. And the director printed it. That dog comes prepared. He’s got the bark built in."

Another example of how this dog stole scenes — and hearts — came in a moment with Benaderet and two of the Petticoat Junction girls. They were listening to a long, boring story told by Uncle Joe, played by Edgar Buchanan, when the director wanted the three of them to yawn in the middle of it. The dog was sitting with them when Benaderet suggested it would be fun to try to get him to yawn right along with them.

"He learned it in less than five minutes," Benaderet said. "We yawned and he yawned right at the same time, right with us. We didn’t even have to cut to a close-up."

All bark, no bite. We’d love to hear from the dog, but he had nothing to say about it in the interview.