Right now I have a small breed dog, a Pekingese. However, I grew up around large breeds, mainly Boxers and Great Danes. My parents never once tied the dogs to anything. We had a fenced in yard and the dogs took their runs as they wished. When they wanted to come back in, they came in through the HUGE doggie door my dad installed (yes, you can get a doggie door for a Dane).
Our dogs have always been treated as family members: The sleep inside and spend a good deal of time with the family. Why else would you get one???