Estonia
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Hello all!
We are Heinrich, Kristina, Hanna and Helena. We live with 30+ purebreed Alaskan malamutes and 1 giantschnauzer in South-Estonia. Our dogs are in different age – from puppies to retired dogs. Our sleddogs are doing their original work – pulling a sled or wheel cart.
Dogs and households are taken care of by Heinrich (50), Kristina (44) and 11-year old twins Hanna and Helena. Heinrich mainly deals with dogs, Kristina cares the household and girls job is learning well at school. Kristina works also as freelance journalist and writes articles for many newspapers and magazines.
Our home is located in Estonia, in easten part of Tartu county, village Ahunapalu. There are forests around us and a big wetland area with lakes and rivers. That is the main charm of this place! Here you can walk at the woods for days without meeting any people. But you will meet different wild animals, who like the untouchable nature and privacy. Nature here are rich and offers lot of good stuff – wildberries, mushrooms, herbs. We collect them all and Kristina will show you her hidden berrieplaces.
Near to us is located lake Peipsi, which is the biggest lake in Estonia. Closest towns are Räpina and Põlva ca 35 kilometers away from us. Tartu, the second biggest town in Estonia, is located 45 kilometers from our home and we have a bus connection to Tartu as well.
Our home consist of two homesteads – in one house we live and in second we have our sleddog kennel. We don’t have close neibourghs. Both homesteads needs daily maintenance, development and lot of building works, since we moved here recently.
Most busiest time in our kennel is of course the autumn and winter season, when we train our dogs on snow and Heinrich goes to the sleddog races. In summertime our kennel is open for a guests, but generally our dogs have a holiday.
We need help with the daily dogcare – feeding, cleaning, brushing, training. You can learn to bild a dog team and drive this aswell. We also need help in daily household, in different repair and construction works, gardening, cleaning etc.
Note, that our life with lovely sleddogs seemes very fun and kind of entertainment, but actually it consist lot of routines. Sometimes our days lasts long.
We need you for seasons:
1. Spring - April, May
2. Summer - June, July, August
3. Autumn - September, October, November
4. Winter - December, January, February, March
If you are interested to join us, then please:
1. choose the season and check the CALENDER of AVAILABILITY (red means that this month is not available)
2. if months of season you choosed are available in the calender (green) and if you are interested to come, write us and introduce yourself
3. please do not waste our time if you are not seriously interested or you try other hosts at the same time
Who are we looking for?
We prefer you can come alone
You should be at least 21 years old
You are independent and able to work and entertain youself alone. You are also able to work in team with our family and of course good with dogs
You are in good shape both mentally and physically and you are able to do physical work
You like to live a simple life in the middle of nature and you are not afraid to woods, dark nights and wild animals
You tolerate the routin – life with cute sleddogs seems fun, but taking care of them is actually quite routin work
You are ready to work outside with every weather condition and every time of day
You don’t need previous experience with dogs, but you must have an interest in them and dog mushing as well.
You must not have a allergy to dog hair!
You need to be a fast learner and understand the logic of dealing with sled dogs
Better if you have driving license.
Better if you are NOT vegetarian, because we love to eat meat and Heinrich cooks it perfectly
Don’t take your own pet with you, this is not allowed
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
You will be the part of our family. We will introduce you Estonian traditions and you will live like us – side by side with nature. Of couse you will learn a little estonian language. Kristina and the girls are enganged in Estonian folkdance and take part some dancefestivals. You are also welcome to partizipate.
Kristina will show you surrounding forests and share with you her secret mushroom and berry collecting places. She will teach you, how to prepare the berries and mushroom for winter. She will also show you the hiking trails near to us and best swimming places. Heinrich will teach you all, what concerns the sleddogs. You can practice dog mushing and hiking in wild nature. You can learn and practice canoeing and reach to very wild places our wetland area.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Daily dogcare - feeding, cleaning, training, socializing puppies. Household works, gardening works, building works.
English: Fluent
Estonian: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
We can offer you for living a private room in Sleddogs Training Centre. In an 100-year main house, which is build in traditional way, we have a kitchen for you. In kitchen you can cook for yourself, but we try at least once a day eat all together and you are welcome as well.
The room is well isolated and heatable, so it's enough warm even in cold winterdays. There is also a bed with linens.
There is no sewerage system, but you can use dry toilet outside. You can get the cold and very pure borehole water for everyday use. We have an old style sauna, where it’s easy to heat water for washing and of course, there is possibility to heat and use sauna as well. Next to the sauna we have a pond for swimming and that’s awesome, especially in summertime. In the second homested where our family lives you can use the shower and washing machine.
Interesting places near to us:
Emajõe-Suursoo (Emajõe big swamp) nature reserv - a beatyful place for hiking, collecting cranberries and being in nature. Here you can meet different kind of wild animals.
Lake Peipsi
Piirissaar - a small island in Lake Peipsi, where people leave in old traditional way and grow famous Peipsi onions in an old organic way
Taevaskoda outcrops - one of the most frequently visited sites in southern Estonia. The sandstone outcrops and ancient river form the most beautiful part of the Ahja River Landscape Reserve. The place is full of legends.
Tartu - second biggest town in Estonia. Theatre, cinemas, museums, shopping centres etc. 45 km from us.
Räpina - small town near to lake Peipsi. 35 km from us
Mooste manor complex - beautifully renovated old manor. 23 km from us.
Põlva - small town 35 km from us.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
5 hours/day, 5 days/week maximum
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