We all remember our first dog.

Of course we remember, most often a pet, and likely a central part of family life. For this reason we never forget the walks, the holidays, horseplay and the overall joy they bring to our lives.

I am no different. I remember my first dog affectionately. He was an Old English Sheepdog appropriately named Watson. Watson was never a house dog like my two English Bulldogs are, and he spent the better part of his time in a large enclosure my father built as a combination between our garage and an outdoor fenced in dog run. While inside the garage he had a fairly cozy setup which was required during the cold Wisconsin winters. He had a dog house for privacy, and plenty of room to move around. Every time we entered the garage his head would pop up, front legs on the top of the enclosure and make his presence known. Just as quickly he would make his way to the outside enclosure for exercise.

It was this setup that enabled me to pull off a fondly remembered April Fools joke on my father (at least I remember it that way). I even cooked up the joke all by my lonesome which gave me even greater joy when I actually pulled it off.

On the morning of April 1st I had decided that I would tell my father Watson had jumped the fence surrounding his dog run and he was nowhere to be found. I put on my serious face and alerted my Dad that Watson was gone from his kennel. In actuality, I had coaxed Watson into his dog house and hoped he would not make his presence known as my father frantically pursued a neighborhood wide search for our family pet. My Dad had been gone nearly an hour which was testament to the success of my "joke", but it also started to make me feel a bit bad about the trick. My Mom, now clued in on my chicanery sent me on a search for my Dad. Once I found him I was forced to explain what I had done. He was none too pleased and I cannot share publicly the words that came from his mouth.

However, he was happy our beloved family pet was safe and sound at home, and I think he secretly admired the prank I had concoted. Nonetheless, I never tried to pull another one on my Dad like that again.

Of course, our family also enjoyed the usual fun dogs provide including the annual summer shave we gave Watson in order to help him with the heat, but I will always remember that one April 1st morning.

Thanks Watson!