Canuk - I wanted a big, lazy dog too and ended up finding the best of both worlds if you want pure-bred: we adopted a retired racing greyhound. They're quiet, very lazy, well trained and they live longer than most of the big dogs. My wife and I will probably never get any other type of dog again.
As to the original topic - nothing ticks me off like seeing a poor dog chained up outside in January. What's the point in having a pet if you're never going to interact with it.