“Sometimes, happiness makes us forget to slow down.”
If Hazelnut is the gentle leader of our pack, and Caramel is the quiet soul who takes her time, Irish is something completely different.
She is energy.
She is curiosity.
She is always ready to play.
And somehow, she always seems to believe that there is still one more adventure waiting around the corner.
From the very first time we met her, we knew Irish was going to bring a completely different kind of energy into our family.
The Corgi We Couldn’t Resist
By the time Irish came into our lives, we had already fallen completely in love with Corgis.
Hazelnut and Caramel had become such an important part of our family that Mommy Corgi Coffeelatte started thinking about welcoming another Corgi into our little pack.
It wasn’t exactly a carefully planned decision.
We were simply browsing.
Looking.
And, as often happens when you’re already completely in love with Corgis, we eventually came across a video of a little Corgi who immediately caught our attention.
Her name was Irish.
She was adorable.
And somehow, we couldn’t stop watching her.
We fell in love with her before we had even met her.
So we did what any slightly obsessed Corgi pawrent would do.
We drove to Bandung.
And this time, Hazelnut and Caramel came with us.
The First Meeting
When we arrived, the decision was almost already made.
We wanted to bring Irish home.
But we also wanted to know something important.
Would she get along with Hazelnut and Caramel?
So we asked the breeder to let Irish out so the three of them could meet properly.
And almost immediately, Irish showed us exactly who she was.
She liked them.
A lot.
She started playing, teasing them, and running around excitedly.
There was no awkward introduction.
No hesitation.
Just a tiny Corgi running around as if she had already known them forever.
We watched her energy, her excitement, and the way she interacted with Hazelnut and Caramel.
That was it.
Irish was coming home with us.
And Then There Were Three
Life at home became very different after Irish arrived.
Hazelnut and Caramel had their own personalities and routines.
Irish?
She seemed to have one simple rule:
If something looks fun, let’s do it.
She was incredibly active.
Playful.
Curious.
And sometimes… a little mischievous.
She especially loved playing with Hazelnut.
The two of them quickly became close playmates.
Caramel was a little different.
Because Caramel has always been more cautious and less interested in socializing, Irish naturally became closer to Hazelnut.
But that never stopped Irish from trying to tease Caramel from time to time.
That was simply Irish being Irish.
The Day We Learned to Slow Down
One of the memories that stayed with us happened when Irish was around six months old.
We were taking the three Corgis for a walk around PIK 2.
Irish was having the time of her life.
She walked everywhere with us.
She was excited.
She wanted to keep going.
Every now and then, she even tried to run ahead, as if she had somewhere much more important to be.
And because she looked so happy and energetic, we didn’t realize how long the walk had actually become.
Then, suddenly…
Irish fell asleep.
Right there.
She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even hold her pee while sleeping.
That’s when we knew something wasn’t right.
We immediately stopped the walk and started checking her condition.
One of the first things we noticed was her gums.
They didn’t look quite like they normally did.
They appeared paler than usual.
We became very worried that she might be experiencing heat-related exhaustion, especially after such a long walk in the warm weather.
We didn’t want to take any chances.
Our Little Emergency
We rushed back to the car.
We turned on all the air conditioning we could and directed the cool air toward Irish.
We cooled her paws with water and did everything we could to help her cool down while we monitored her condition.
We even bought a cold drink and used it to help cool her chest and belly.
At that moment, we were terrified.
Our plan was simple.
If she didn’t improve, we would immediately take her to the veterinarian.
We stayed in the car for quite some time, watching her carefully and contacting our veterinarian for advice.
Thankfully, Irish gradually began to recover.
Her energy slowly returned.
And most importantly, her gums began returning to their normal pink color.
We were incredibly relieved.
In the end, she recovered without needing to go to the veterinarian.
But that day gave us one of our most important lessons as pawrents.
Sometimes, Happiness Makes Them Forget
Irish had been having so much fun that she simply didn’t seem to know when to stop.
She was happy.
She was excited.
She wanted to keep walking and playing with us.
And perhaps that’s exactly what made it so easy for us to miss how tired she had become.
It taught us that dogs can sometimes keep going because they are excited, even when their bodies are already telling them to slow down.
As pawrents, we have to be the ones paying attention.
Especially when the weather is hot.
Especially when we’re outside for a long time.
And especially when our dogs are having so much fun that they don’t seem to want the adventure to end.
That day, Irish taught us something very simple:
Sometimes loving our dogs means knowing when to say, “That’s enough for today.”
The Girl Who Always Brings the Ball
Today, Irish is healthy, happy, and still just as energetic as ever.
One of her favorite things in the world is playing fetch.
And she is surprisingly good at it.
Irish knows how the game works.
She runs after the ball.
She catches it.
And, most importantly…
She brings it back.
Then she looks at us as if to say:
“Again?”
And of course, we throw it again.
And again.
And again.
Caramel: Her Favorite Playmate
There is something particularly funny about Irish’s relationship with Caramel.
Irish loves playing ball with her.
If Irish knows Caramel is around and we’re about to play, she sometimes waits for Caramel to join them.
She doesn’t just want to play with us.
She wants Caramel there too.
But their friendship comes with a little competition.
Sometimes they get so excited chasing the same ball that they bump into each other.
And occasionally…
A little argument follows.
Nothing lasts forever, though.
A few moments later, they’re usually ready to play again.
That’s just life with Corgis.
And Then There’s Ginger…
There is one more character in Irish’s ball-playing story.
Ginger.
Ginger loves interfering with Irish’s game.
If Irish has the ball, Ginger seems particularly interested in taking it away.
But strangely enough, when Caramel has the ball…
Ginger doesn’t seem nearly as interested.
Maybe it’s because Ginger is Caramel and Hazelnut’s son.
Maybe he simply knows better. 😂
Whatever the reason, we’ve learned that if we want Irish to enjoy a peaceful game of fetch, it’s better to keep Ginger out of the game.
At least for a little while.
The Sunshine of Our Pack
Irish has grown into a beautiful fluffy-haired, tricolor Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
But what makes her special isn’t simply how she looks.
It’s the energy she brings into our home.
She makes us laugh.
She keeps Hazelnut busy.
She tries to get Caramel to play.
And she reminds us that sometimes life doesn’t need to be complicated.
Sometimes you just need a ball.
A little space to run.
And someone you love willing to throw it again.
What Irish Taught Us
Hazelnut taught us that some of the best things in life are the ones we never planned.
Caramel taught us that the quietest hearts can hold the deepest emotions.
And Irish?
Irish taught us to enjoy the moment.
But she also taught us something else.
Joy needs balance.
It’s wonderful to be excited.
Wonderful to explore.
Wonderful to keep running toward the next adventure.
But sometimes…
We need to stop.
Take a breath.
Look at the little Corgi beside us.
And simply go home.
Today
Irish is still our little ray of sunshine.
Still playful.
Still energetic.
Still ready whenever someone picks up a ball.
And still somehow convinced that every walk could last just a little longer.
But now, we pay a little more attention.
We watch her energy.
We watch the weather.
We take breaks.
Because after everything we’ve learned from our four Corgis, we know that being a good pawrent isn’t just about giving them adventures.
It’s also about knowing when they need us to slow down.
And perhaps that’s one of the greatest lessons Irish has given us.
“Happiness is wonderful. But sometimes, love means knowing when to slow down.” 🐾
—Irish
