Does a direct object always follow the transitive verb?

I am confused as to whether direct objects always follow the transitive verb. When I searched for an explanation online, it always says that direct objects always come after the transitive verb. I can’t find an example where the direct object precedes the verb.

In a sentence, the direct object is the noun or noun phrase that’s receiving the action of the verb. The basic construction works like this: Subject + Verb + Who or What.

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/direct-object-examples.html

I ate the hotdog that she had given me.

In the first sentence, can you consider the verb "had given" a transitive verb despite its placement?

"Goodbye!" she said.

I read one discussion that the direct object can precede a verb in a relative clause as long as it comes after the verb in the main clause. So, how can we explain the second sentence? Is the verb "said" in the second sentence intransitive?