Did your dogs always obey you?

Dakota is a very, very good dog, and for the most part quite obedient. She was always gracious enough to allow us to believe we were alpha, but we weren’t, and she’s pulled rank in the past a couple of times.
But now that she’s gotten older, and it hurts for her to walk and get up, and her hearing and sight are going, we don’t make her do much of anything any more.
Yesterday we had 4 of the grand kids here, ages 3, 5, 7 and 11. We were going to take them to eat.
The kids and I went out the door. Rick started to come out when suddenly Dakota was there, trying to force her way out on to the deck too. When she was younger and stronger she would have won. She did it to me once when I took Dutchess to the vet with out her. Well, I tried to take Dutchess to the vet without Dakota, but that wasn’t happening! Dakota just over powered me, some by force, and some by sheer force of will! So I had to take Dakota too.
But that was years ago and she’s never done it since, until yesterday, and boy was she adamant. She was coming out.
Rick finally prevailed and got her back in the house, but she was not happy. It was so odd.
Suddenly, before Rick got there, the kids and I got rushed by a large boxer. Scared the absolute crap out of me, especially with all the defenseless little kids scattered about.
Old Dakota knew the dog was there and she was ready to come out, hobble / fall down those steps some how and lay her life down for those children.
Fortunately the dog turned out to be a friendly, goofy dog. He just rushed around trying to say “Hi!!!” to everyone at the same time. He tried to jump i the SUV to go with us, too.

Oh, my Dakota. How we will miss you. I’ve had a lot of dogs, but Dakota is my ideal of a dog. Obedient, but smart enough to know that there are exceptions to every rule, and when to make that exception. Gentle but protective, too. She is kind of like Jesus…loving and kind, until it came time to kick some ass.