Whether your dog is considered a small dog or a large dog, doesn't matter. The worst thing you can do is confine them to a small area and/or chain them and/or raise your voice. Being confined to a small area and/or being chained makes any dog, large or small, more agressive.

I do speak from experience. I was born and raised on a farm in Michigan's lower peninsula, raised around work horses (2 Clydes - Pat and Mike), and in the summer time I would sleep in the creek with Skipper, the family St. Bernard. After Skipper died, it was Fritzifer (Fritzy), a German Sheperd.

For 12 years, after I almost grew up in 1975, I had a Dobe, his name was Yang Poh-Shi Ching Tsung (he answered to Yang Poh, Hellhound, Hey, You!)

Yang Poh was a California Dobe (needle nose, black and rust), stood 33 inches at his shoulders and weighed in at 150 pounds when he matured at the age of 6 years. The Doberman breed is comprised of a Weimeranar (sp), a Terrier, and a Rotweiller. They are very possessive, very protective, and a one person dog (big dog). They make great baby-sitters when a mother has two young sons who like to play in the yard! No one comes into the yard when that Dobe is laying in the grass near the boys!

Yang Poh was a house dog, regardless of his size. I taught Yang Poh not to bark when he wanted to go out to do his biz, and not to bark when he wanted back inside. (I did it with a toilet brush gently bonged on the top of his head each time until he got the message as I very quietly said to him, "No, that is not allowed". It only took 3 times, you must be patient.)

With dogs, big or small, the key is to never raise your voice, just as one does not do with horses. After you have raised your voice, you have no where to go. You must remain calm, and when you tell them, "No.", your voice must be calm. (With horses, you can give them three knees in the belly to get their attention, but not so with dogs.)

You can always deprive your dog of attention for a short while. Any animal which has an IQ larger than that of a gnat craves human attention. And, for you? Don't hold a grudge, your dog does not.

You don't need the Dog Whisperer, even though he is a great fella, you just need to learn how to handle your animal(s) and let them know who the boss is, just as one must do with a half-ton+ horse.

~Nan