Pet Spotlight: Teun and Marie the Dachshunds

We met Teun and Marie on a hill on the Myrtle Avenue side of Fort Greene Park. Despite the overcast skies, the two male dachshunds were relaxing with their owners Kika Vliegenthart, 46, and Sabine Spanger, 38, both originally from the Netherlands, who together own Kika NY, an online boutique which sells handmade leather backpacks, wallets and belts.

Despite their difference in age – Teun is 4 and 1/2 years old and Marie is just 4 months old – the two seem to like each other. Vliegenthart and Spanger say they never leave their Classon Avenue home without their dogs, even when they’re shuttling between home and their artist studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

What are your favorite things about Teun and Marie?

Sabine: I love how they play. They’re very, very humanized. They’re like little humans. They’re very lovely. They’re not so nice to other people, but they’re wonderful to us.

What is their favorite activity?

Sabine: The beach. They run like crazy. He [Teun] loves to chase the squirrels. And digging. They love to run.

Kika: They jump with four legs up.

Sabine: They’re like little fleas.

Do they get along?

Sabine: We’ve had Marie only for three weeks. They’re really adjusting. Teun’s a bit insulted. He was the only child for four years. But he’s doing very well. He’s very sweet. Sometimes he gets a bit cranky when he has to give up some space. Dachshunds are something special. They’re like little people. It’s amazing.

How often do Teun and Marie leave home?

Kika: They’re always with us. They ride in the basket. It’s not unusual in Holland, but it’s strange here.

Sabine: We take them everywhere. When we travel to Europe we take them everywhere.

Do they have distinctive personalities?

Sabine: The older one [Teun] is very shy and skittish. They’re like big dogs in a small body, so they’re a bit arrogant, but at the same time Teun’s very shy and very sensitive.

Do you have a pet you’d like to see spotlighted on The Nabe? Send us a photo and short description of your pet at TheNabe@TheNabe.me.