Classic Golf Holidays the Algarve
The
Algarve, in Southern
Portugal, with its year-round sunshine, miles of golden sand
beaches, and picturesque
villages, has become
one of Europes most popular
golfing destinations. But
while there
are many courses suiting all abilities,
the Algarve is
also perfect
for non golfers, especially
the eastern region around
Tavira, with its stunning
nature walks. At
the other
end of
the scale,
resorts such as Vilamoura
and Vale
do Lobo are mega destinations with all
the golfing
and sporting options
you could want. Then, in
Western Algarve, around
the bustling holiday destination of
Albufeira, you can holiday
24/7, combining
championship golf with
a hectic nightlife.
Western Algarve
golf breaks
Besides bustling
Albufeira, there is the
charming old town of Lagos, set on one of the largest bays in the Algarve.
Its 17th-century fort
stands at the harbour entrance
and a new marina with
rows of
excellent restaurants
and bars draws the crowds.
Alvor, an old
port at the
mouth of the Rio Alvor, has
many traditional restaurants by the quay
and a
maze of cobbled streets lined with whitewashed houses, shops
and a few bars.
Golf holidaymakers should check out the renowned Pinta, one of the best courses in the Algarve, designed
to retain natural
valleys and undulations. Neighbouring Gramacho is also excellent and both courses are free of green fees
for those lucky enough
to be staying at the Pestana Hotels.
Central Algarve
offers golf and more
Quinta do
Lago is a premier golfing destination. Two of its four excellent 18-hole courses are
listed among the Europes top 25 golf
courses, and half of the 2000-acre resort comprises a residential and recreational estate,
surrounded by pine forests. This beautiful area is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Ria
Formosa nature reserve. Nearby is a large shopping centre with a health club,
nightclubs and restaurants, and scenic countryside runs along miles of
secluded beaches.
Just 20 minutes
drive from
Faro International Airport, Vilamoura is one of Europes largest sport and
leisure complexes.
There are
five golf courses, championship tennis courts, an acclaimed riding school, and
fishing and shooting facilities.
The resorts large marina has many fine restaurants,
cafes and shops.
Vale do Lobo,
Portugals biggest luxury golf and beach resort, also 20 minutes from the airport at Faro, is one of Europes
finest. Its two golf courses, the Royal and Ocean, provide stunning views of the
coast, and its 5 km-long sandy beach, with dramatic red sandstone cliffs, provides
non-golfers with seriously good beach and swimming options. The resort also offers tennis courts, a gymnasium and health and beauty centre, as well as restaurants and shops.
Eastern Algarve; golf
tours without the crowds
For a less frenetic golfing
experience and a
chance to enjoy nature, head east from Faro towards the Spanish border. There are many hotels not far from the airport, close to some well-designed courses.
Tavira, at the mouth of the River
Gilao, is a fishing port dating from Moorish times. Nearby youll find
Reserva do Sapal, one of
Portugals most important nature reserves. And just
across the
border, on the
Costa de la Luz, are many more great golf courses.
Rod
Ritchie, a travel writer and editor, writes for many publishers
including AA Publishing and Fodors. Bill Goff
Golf Tours at
http://www.billgoff.com and Longshot Golf Holidays at
http://www.longshotgolf.co.uk offer great value golf breaks to all of the top resorts in the Algarve.
Understanding Dog Behavior
Dogs
are considered
the most genuinely happy creatures
on earth. Their entire day
is filled with
you whether
you are there or not. They are waiting for you, sleeping on your bed,
watching for
you out
the window, wondering where
you are while they are patiently waiting for
you in their crate.
Once
you come home its all about you. Your attention, your love, your food, your commands,
and of course, your time. For
an animal that revolves
his whole life
around you, it can
be confusing why
he does some of
the things he does. If he loves you so much, why
is he destroying your shoes? If you are
the light
in his life, why
is he
ignoring you when you come home?
Dogs have
a very unique way of expressing themselves. Most
people believe that dogs have
and show genuine emotion such as love
and fear and even anger. We understand that when they sit at the door and bark they are telling us they need
to go outside. We understand that when
we have
a leash
in our hand and they get
a little goofy that they are excited about the upcoming walk.
Understanding their more subtle or destructive cues takes
a little insight
into your dogs world.
Returning Home Behavior
Some dogs get so excited that you are home after a weekend away they completely get beside themselves with joy. They follow you around and
may even be uncharacteristically clingy as you wander about the house. Others get so excited when you first walk in the door, and then
leave you in complete peace for several hours. People usually say that he
is angry with you for leaving in the first place.
Most experts say their behavior
is more about security than anything. You are your dogs entire world and when for some reason you disappear for a long
period of time, and there is a sudden change in
his routine, his security is thrown a bit. He is very happy
to see you but he also needs a little reassurance that everything is getting
back to normal. Some dogs
do this by following you around the house until they are sure, and others do this from a more observatory stance. Either way your canine
family member is
just looking for reassurance and his typical routine
to return.
The Canine
Garbage Disposal
He knows better and he knows that you know he knows better. However, every chance he gets you see him scampering off with something that you
just absolutely dont want him
to chew. He eats your best shoes while youre in the shower, the corner of the bedspread while youre getting dressed, and the phone cord while you were talking on it. And you
havent even made it
to breakfast yet. As
much as you love him you are
contemplating the moral issues of drop kicking him right out the door. Youve tried everything that you can think of and yet he is still eating everything in sight. He is beyond the age where teething causes chewing but yet he still cant seem
to find his
own toys
to consume.
There are two key factors in a garbage disposal
dog. The first and easiest
to solve is a health
problem relating to his teeth and gums. If his mouth is bothering him, he is going to
chew on everything he can. Start with a vet visit to rule out any periodontal issues.
The more likely culprit of his unflattering behavior is stress and anxiety. Yes, your happy go lucky guy can suffer from stress. Has there been a change in the household such as a new baby,
dramatically increased arguing or is someone who is supposed to be there suddenly gone?
For starter, confine him when you cant watch him, although preferably with you. A puppy gate here can go a long way in simple things
like keeping an
eye on him while you are showering and watching his every move while you are getting dressed. Often the hurried morning is a higher anxiety period for your dog.
Then begin to address the problem. Make
sure theres an
appropriate toy available to him at all times and make a
big deal about it when he eats the right things. A sharp reprimand and a quick and immediate discipline is in order when you
catch him at the wrong chew toys. You dont want to stress him more by smacking him, although a rolled up newspaper banged on a hard surface is a quick attention getter. Never strike him with it. He will make it his mission to eat it if you do in an effort to eliminate an already stressful period.
Try to identify the stressor and relax him around the problem. If you can get him comfortable enough around the new baby to lie
down even when the baby is crying, you have made strides. If there is tension in the house try to tone down the arguing, or take it to an alternative room. If your
dog can be comfortably
confined to an outdoor yard, that is the best option, but dont get so wrapped up in your arguing that you leave him out there for extensive periods of time. Whatever the stressor is that is causing the chewing, try to get him comfortable and relaxed around it. This may take some time, but relieving his anxiety will also reduce the tension in your life as well.
Aggression
You know him as your sweet and loveable friend. Your friends and neighbors know him as the terror on your doorstep who wants to eat them. Aggression is not a nice quality in your dog. Aggression comes from the desire to
protect, and anything perceived as a
threat is going to be treated like one. For some dogs this means anyone and anything that doesnt belong. He is only trying to defend his home and his human family, but aggression is a serious behavioral problem that needs to be nipped in the bud.
Check your own behavior. How are you reacting to him when he is growling and carrying on at the neighbor as she walks by your house? Make sure the words good boy are the last thing your dog hears. Be a good boy, or Thats not a good boy, are not deterrents. Neither is Shh.
Mild mannered people tend to have more aggressive dogs because their
tones are not
consistent with command. If your dog doesnt believe you enough to listen to you, he certainly isnt going to believe you can take care of yourself. I cant tell you how many times our pups have been accosted on the
street with an owner telling their dog that its ok. Its not okay. The words you are looking for are
firm and sharp and sound like Sit and No. One word firm commands are much more effective than reasoning. Aggression is a serious offense and it must be treated as one. We have one dog who got a little out of control. When
sitting wasnt getting him under control on his nightly walk we actually went to making him lie
down. Right there on the street or sidewalk we commanded our German Shepard to lie down to get his attention and then added a Quiet command to get our point across. His aggression quieted down in a week.
Some dogs do better if they can at
least see whats going on even if they cant be a part of the process. Aggressive dogs are really protective
dogs. The delivery
man might not want your growling, snarling beloved pet to join you on the porch, but he might do better if he has a place he can be
directed to sit and watch provided he stays quiet. Constantly sequestering him does nothing to solve the problem.
The Overbearing Overgrown Puppy
He is happy to see you. You are his toy and his best friend and he will pummel you over in an attempt to play with you. He has run over the children and
covered the cat with his doggie saliva. You love him, but wow does his energy get annoying sometimes. Its hard to talk to someone one the phone when
hes jumping on you and wrapping his big paws around you and forget leaving the house looking presentable.
He is the puppy who never grew up. His body got big, but he seems intellectually stuck at
four months old. Most of the time this behavior is a matter of dominance. When a dog views you as his alpha leader, he gives you respect. When you are his peer, you are his play mate. Alpha leaders are by nature a food related dominance. Of course other factors play into it as well, but to a dog food is leadership. If you are not already the dogs food source, consider taking on that responsibility.
Establish yourself as a leader. This isnt all that hard to do and you dont even have to stop
playing with him in order to do it. Start by giving him
random commands, especially around feeding time.
With his food in your hand tell him to sit. With the food in the bowl and the bowl on the floor tell him to wait, and then make sure he follows through. When he has looked to you for permission, allow him to commence eating.
Slowly add random commands throughout the day and rebuke rough playing immediately. If he wants to play, he has to sit and wait for things rather than tackle you. You can just as easily give him commands with playtime as you can any other time. A few commands before you
throw the ball is usually enough to get the right message across as you are establishing dominance.
Interpreting Your Dog
Understanding your dogs behavior isnt quite as mystifying as it seems. He really is doing his best to tell you. Watching his communication with other people and animals in the household can really open your eyes to how he expresses himself.
A dog wags his tail to express
happiness, yawns when he is content, and growls when he is threatened. With over one hundred facial expressions, he is constantly telling you something. The more you get to know your dog the more you will learn what he is telling you.
Owning a dog is a wonderfully joyous experience. They bring so much into our world which is why so many people have them. They look to us to tend to their needs. We owe it to them to give them at least our very best
shot at keeping them safe, healthy, and happy.
David Beart is the owner of
http://www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers pets, dog training, finances, family,
cooking and other household issues.
Low Rate Unsecured Loan: No-Security Money At Low Interest
The basic style
of living that we
follow nowadays
demands a lot
of amenities. Fulfilling
these may require
some extra
money in addition
to the regular income. It may seem like
a problem when a needful person does not have
an asset to pledge.
But actually
it is no more a
hindrance. Low rate
unsecured loan solves this problem.
A
low rate
unsecured loan provides money
for any and every purpose
of the borrower as it is a personal
loan. It
can be used
for debt consolidation, home improvement, a vacation
or educational expenses.
As
the name suggests,
low rate
unsecured loan does not require
any collateral for its approval.
The borrower
can borrow money
without pledging any asset with the lender.
Inspite of no assets
attached to the
loan, the lender provides a
low interest rate to the borrower.
To apply
for the
low rate
unsecured loan, the borrower
has to fulfill some basic
requirements like:
*
Proof of employment
* Residential proof
*
Age proof of over
18 years
* Proof of regular monthly income
With
all these
details in place, the low rate unsecured loan is approved
easily. The
approval is a fast process as there is no evaluation of assets required
in it. As a low rate unsecured loan, an amount of
1000-25000 can be borrowed. This amount is borrowed
for duration of 6 months to 10 years.
Bad
credit people
also can avail low rate unsecured loan but that is
available at a slightly higher rate of interest to make
up for the high risk involved
in the deal. This rate can be brought
down either by proving
good repayment ability and also by
researching online. Timely repayment can
help in improving the
credit history of the bad credit borrower.
Low rate unsecured loan can act as a
support for people
who want to improve
their credit history in addition to fulfilling the need for money. A genuine step in this
direction can help a borrower achieve contentment.
Andrew Baker has done
his masters in finance from
CPIT. He is engaged in providing
free, professional, and
independent advice to the residents of the UK. He works for the UK finance world for any type of loans as low rate unsecured loan, bad credit
secured loan, personal loans, cheap secured loan, loans, unsecured loans please visit
http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk/
Adopting a Rescue Dog
Adopting an
unwanted dog from an animal
shelter can be a good idea
for many people
who want a dog. Some prospective
dog owners are put off
the idea because
they believe
that these
canines are difficult
animals, that they were only abandoned because
of behavioural difficulties.
In most cases, this
is very far from
the truth. Most
dogs end up
in a
dog shelter
for various reasons
other than
their own behaviour
or personality. Common reasons are things such
as the owners no longer
have time to look
after a dog, they're moving from a house into an
apartment, they owners are divorcing
and neither
of them can
or want to take
the dog,
the owner dies or goes into a nursing
home, the owner cannot afford the costs
of owning a dog, or a new
baby is
expected and the
dog doesn't fit in to the new lifestyle. These dogs are good, well-trained,
well-behaved and loyal pets and they are seeking a new home through no fault
of their own.
Rescue dogs can
be a very
good choice for many people who
simply don't want the difficulties that
training a
young puppy can entail. It goes without saying that puppies need a
lot of time and patience to house-train
them, to socialize them, to
teach them how to be a good
dog in later life. In a
rescue dog,
you will find very often that this initial hard
work has already been done, and you will be able to give a homeless
dog a good home that he will
truly appreciate.
It is of course necessary to bear in mind that some rescue dogs will have initial
problems in
adjusting to a new environment and a new lifestyle, they may need
re-training or need to un-learn habits, but you will probably find that this is less work than the training a puppy needs in the
first year of its life! An adult dog has the advantages of being calmer, and his looks,
temperament and size will already be established and known.
If you are seriously
considering adopting a homeless dog then the first thing to do is to find out
as much as you can about the dog's history. If he is in a shelter, the
staff there will be able to tell you everything they know. If the dog is still with his owners, then ask them as many questions as possible to get an idea of where the dog came from and what
life he has led, what training he has received and any medical history that is available. Find out the age of the dog
if possible, if he has been house-trained, if he is used to children and other animals, if he happy travelling in the car. Has the dog been neutered, wormed and inoculated? Are there any on-going behavioural problems that you
should be aware of?
Make a list of questions and write some notes to help you remember any
important points. It is important to bear in mind that a dog's behaviour at a shelter may not be representative of his behaviour in
your home. Try to
see the dog at least a couple of
times before deciding to adopt him, and take him for a walk
on the lead if possible to see how he walks and how he responds to you on a one-to-one basis.
Once you have taken gone
ahead and adopted your dog, begin straight away with consistent kind firmness. Establish the
rules from the moment the dig enters your home so that he can learn what is expected of him. Remember he will be confused
by his change of surroundings and may
well miss his previous owners, the shelter staff or other dogs. If he has not been house-trained or is confused about what he should do in your home, start a firm but kind training schedule to teach him where he must toilet in the future. Positive reward-based training is the best course of action be firm, consistent and above all, patient!
Make an appointment with your vet to have the dog examined and
establish an inoculation schedule. Some behavioural problems and house-training difficulties can stem from medical problems,
especially in older dogs, so your vet may be able to advise you about these too.
If this is your first dog, then read lots of books and articles about caring for and training your new friend. Search for different games and ways of interacting together that also build obedience, confidence and a
bond between the two of you. With patience and understanding, rescuing a homeless dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life for
both you and your dog.
Justine Kay is an experienced dog owner and trainer.
She is the webmistress at
http://www.dogs-trainingtips.com where she writes dog training articles and
discusses the intricacies of dog psychology.
