Ravnshem

Who are we?

We are 3 adults (originally from Denmark) living together on a beautiful little plot of land in the northeastern corner of Scania, Sweden.

Here we try to create a life with lots of love and lots of homegrown and homemade food.

Our great passion is animal welfare, and hence we don’t really like to buy meat but instead have our own chickens, geese, ducks, sheep and each spring through fall a couple of pigs.

As the vegans say: meat is murder – and we like to know that every bite we eat has had as good a life as possible, and the animals we eat have never been transported or treated ill on the way to our table.

We grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and the first thing visitors notice in the summertime is our big kitchen garden, the pig-enclosure and rows of different berry bushes.

On the hill opposite of our big vegetable garden we have built the kennel where most of our dogs live. Our Alaskan Malamutes are not only our working companions and beloved pets, they are the joy and meaning of life – the very heart of Kennel Ravnshem.

We have each had dogs in our lives for years – as children as well as adults – before the first sled-dog come into our shared home in 2016.

At that time we were the proud owners of a german shepherd-labrador mix, and one day we were made aware that the local animal shelter was looking for the right home to a somewhat unlucky husky-mix. This 3,5 year old doggie had been returned to the shelter for a second time and they were looking for a home with knowledge of dogs – active grown ups, a big fenced yard, time and patience and preferably a female dog already in the home.

We checked all boxes and went – with some reservations – to meet the shelter staff and the huskymix Luca.

Well… we came, we talked, we met Luca – and the reat is history as they say.

Into our lives came 43 kg heavily overweight, understimulated and always hungry dog with galloping separation anxiety and LOTS of great and creative ideas.

The understimulation we could remove at once. The weight however was a different tale.

For each kg we managed to make him loose, he got a little more agile and nimble and could climb a little higher, twist a little further and steal even more food.

Dear Luca stole: the meat for dinner, chocolate, cat food, leftovers, a pizza waiting to be cut, half of the cake for new years eve, a bag of dogtreats and every heart he met on his way.

We loved his energi and intelligence, his stubbornness and resourcefulness.

We wanted Luca to use his power, intelligence and some of all those stolen calories in a good way, so we turned to the world of sled dogs and their humans in order to get him into a harness.

That turned out to be a dangerous move. All those adorable dogs – and all those wonderful people and ideas! And Possibilities!

As we discovered that our shepherd-lab mix had hip dysplasia and shouldn’t play wild with Luca, we went on the lookout for a big sturdy sled-dog to match Luca and be his partner-in-crime.

This brought us to one-year-old Tayson. An Alaskan Malamute with deep soulfull brown eyes, a melodious “woo” and a great love of carrots.

Young, loving, full of energy and with a VERY classic Malamute personality, Tayson made us realize that this was the breed for us.

Two dogs became three, we moved from Denmark to Sweden and the first purebred Malamute; Snowcreek Outlaws Ravn was brought here. Then Falk, Mocha and Milo…

They say the first sled-dog is the most expensive. Cause if you don’t buy that first sleddog you won’t discover the fun of a working dog in a harness. Pulling a chain, a small wagon or perhaps a bike. You tell yourself you have a need for canine company to the first dog, so you get a second dog, a mountainbike or a kickbike. Then a small wagon or a sled – cause that is so much fun. But really then you should have 4 dogs… you get 4. Now you need to build kennels, a dog yard, get a bigger car, a dog trailer.. When you have all this it’s silly not to go for six dogs… or 8… and ouch the vet bills, the food… yes, that first dog sure turned out to be an expensive decision.

But what a life, what a world – what a Love. We would never wish to have a life without our dogs.

The three of us

Susanne: Born 1972,married to Jesper. Queen of the kitchen garden and godess of all that grows. Keeper of bees and chickens and the one who helps out with splinters in fingers (or paws), minor injuries and any dog or human in need of a little bandaid and a kiss on the nose.

Also knitter of all that is warm and beautiful. (And baker of the world’s best pear pie.)

Majbrith: Born 1983 – living with Susanne and Jesper since 2012.

Grew up with shepherd mixes and tends to treat her cat a little too much like a dog.

Sees herself as dog-mom number ONE, panics whenever any of her fur babies experiences the slightest discomfort and loves to ride her kickbike with two dogs in front. Goes on lots of walks and does basic training with the dogs. Believes that positive reinforcement, clear boundaries and communication, patience mixed with a little stubbornness and lots of love will turn any dog into the best boy or girl in all the world.

Also food-pusher and personal slave to our geese and ducks.

Jesper: Born 1976, Married to Susanne. Grew up with terriers as well as new foundland dogs.

Master of the kennel and Musher of dogs put in front of all things on wheels or sledrunners.

This dog-dad trains his dogs with a clear purpose and lots of love.

Jesper dreams of completing the Kungs Leden trail with a team of our malamutes. In his wood shop everything from doghouses to chicken-enclosures, sled-repairs and feed troughs are made.

Jesper is the one who looks after our pigs, cures and smokes bacon, does the canning of meat and vegetables and he is head chef of both human- and dog-kitchen.