“He prefers the company of humans to dogs,” Reggie’s furmum, Nadia Hasbi, told FMT Lifestyle.
But this is understandable – Nadia and her husband brought Reggie home during the pandemic, and he has spent most of his puppy life among humans.
In fact, Reggie was born on March 7, 2020 – less than two weeks before the lockdown was first implemented in Malaysia.
Nadia still remembers the day Reggie came to them as a tiny puppy in a box. “My husband collected the box and then, a puppy’s head popped out. We just melted,” the 43-year-old recalled fondly.
The inspiration behind Reggie’s name is none other than Reginald “Reggie” Mantle, a character from Archie Comics.
“One of our friends has a dog named Archie, and I thought it was such a cute name. So, I said, ‘When I get a dog, I’ll name him ‘Reggie’,” said Nadia.
Today, this full-time content creator who loves travelling, enjoys making beautiful memories with Reggie on their many trips together. Reggie, she shared, especially loves spending time at the beach.
Nadia documents their adventures on social media and has even launched an e-book, “The Ultimate Dog Friendly Travel Guide to Malaysia”.
Even when not travelling, Nadia and Reggie have loads of fun together. Reggie especially enjoys going on hikes, car rides and playing fetch.
Describing Reggie as gentle and patient, Nadia said he’s the kind who’ll remain calm and collected no matter who’s bothering him, like the hyper Pomeranian he encountered once.
However, he doesn’t show the same restraint when it comes to cats – he’ll chase after them, unless they are felines he’s already familiar with. Fun fact: Reggie was afraid of cats once, but he has clearly risen above that phobia!
He is incredibly friendly with humans and during the interview with FMT Lifestyle, he was seen enthusiastically greeting the people around him, his tail swishing this way and that the entire time.
It was heartwarming to see how his playful antics brought smiles to those who met him. “Whenever he sees humans, he thinks they are there for him!” Nadia said with a smile.
“When we go for walks around the neighbourhood, he gets excited when he sees his favourite neighbour who will ‘manja’ him. But once the humans start talking, he doesn’t like it because we’re not paying attention to him.”
The pooch, however, has developed a unique way to regain their attention. “He will start chewing on sticks and even eat small rocks!” Nadia revealed with a laugh.
While Reggie’s favourite treat is dog-friendly cakes, he has been known to eat almost everything – even ants and caterpillars!
Asked how Reggie has changed her life, Nadia said: “I really, really feel like he’s my kid. When I see him happy, I’m happy. He’s completely changed my life in a way I never expected. I never thought I’d become a pet content creator, but here I am.
“I hope that we can keep creating content together for years to come. Hopefully, more Malaysians will see just how amazing dogs are and that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Follow Nadia and Reggie’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.