The Villages - September 2017 - 29

She asked if she could give Shandy a treat, and
Matson said yes, but that she needed to make him do
a trick first.
The worker told him to sit, stay, stand and shake
her hand, all of which Shandy did perfectly.
She couldn't believe how obedient he was and told
Matson that Shandy might be the second smartest
dog in The Villages.
When Matson asked who could be smarter than
Shandy, the UPS worker said there was a dog over in
Dunedin that could close doors.
Matson laughed and explained that
the dog she was referring to was, in
fact, Shandy.
And that's not the only trick
Shandy has up his fur.
He plays fetch by himself with his
automatic ball-throwing machine, called iFetch.
Matson simply throws a ball into the machine and
then Shandy retrieves it, puts the ball back into the
machine himself and continues to play to his heart's
content.
Matson also taught Shandy memory games in
which he recognizes his toys by name.
So if Matson calls out "hot dog," for example, he
will find his hot dog toy and bring it to her.
And with Matson being a prominent Zumba
teacher here in The Villages, Shandy of course had
to learn some dance moves - his favorite being the
grapevine, where he runs in between Matson's legs.
He is a sociable dog and loves going with Matson
to the squares and dog parks in The Villages.
"As much as he loves me, Shandy is always happy
to see new people - whether it's the UPS driver
or friends at the dog park. Everyone knows by his
wagging tail that he's a good dog. That brings me
joy."
Matson and Shandy have a special relationship
that continues to flourish each day.
"He's affectionate back to me and he's so sweet,"
she said. "He's my best friend."

Everyone knows by his wagging tail that
he's a good dog and I think that brings me
joy, because I see people smile.
- Barbara Matson

MAGAZINE

29



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - September 2017

Contents
The Villages - September 2017 - Cover1
The Villages - September 2017 - Contents
The Villages - September 2017 - 1
The Villages - September 2017 - 2
The Villages - September 2017 - 3
The Villages - September 2017 - 4
The Villages - September 2017 - 5
The Villages - September 2017 - 6
The Villages - September 2017 - 7
The Villages - September 2017 - 8
The Villages - September 2017 - 9
The Villages - September 2017 - 10
The Villages - September 2017 - 11
The Villages - September 2017 - 12
The Villages - September 2017 - 13
The Villages - September 2017 - 14
The Villages - September 2017 - 15
The Villages - September 2017 - 16
The Villages - September 2017 - 17
The Villages - September 2017 - 18
The Villages - September 2017 - 19
The Villages - September 2017 - 20
The Villages - September 2017 - 21
The Villages - September 2017 - 22
The Villages - September 2017 - 23
The Villages - September 2017 - 24
The Villages - September 2017 - 25
The Villages - September 2017 - 26
The Villages - September 2017 - 27
The Villages - September 2017 - 28
The Villages - September 2017 - 29
The Villages - September 2017 - 30
The Villages - September 2017 - 31
The Villages - September 2017 - 32
The Villages - September 2017 - 33
The Villages - September 2017 - 34
The Villages - September 2017 - 35
The Villages - September 2017 - 36
The Villages - September 2017 - 37
The Villages - September 2017 - 38
The Villages - September 2017 - 39
The Villages - September 2017 - 40
The Villages - September 2017 - 41
The Villages - September 2017 - 42
The Villages - September 2017 - 43
The Villages - September 2017 - 44
The Villages - September 2017 - 45
The Villages - September 2017 - 46
The Villages - September 2017 - 47
The Villages - September 2017 - 48
The Villages - September 2017 - 49
The Villages - September 2017 - 50
The Villages - September 2017 - 51
The Villages - September 2017 - 52
The Villages - September 2017 - 53
The Villages - September 2017 - 54
The Villages - September 2017 - 55
The Villages - September 2017 - 56
The Villages - September 2017 - 57
The Villages - September 2017 - 58
The Villages - September 2017 - Cover3
The Villages - September 2017 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/thevillages/TheVillages/ContinuingTheDream_Vol6
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https://www.nxtbook.com/thevillages/TheVillages/ContinuingTheDream_Vol3
https://www.nxtbook.com/thevillages/TheVillages/ContinuingTheDream_Vol2
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