Me -- Pack leader to Big Dogs?

Who would have ever thought ! ? !Big Dogs ~ I used to be afraid of them ~

When I was little I was terrified of them ... Except for my aunt's dog, Rocky, an old beagle mix, who ate Zia's delicious pasta on a paper plate.
Bear is a neighbor's dog; I'm just getting to know this big, beautiful Akita.
When I first met her, she was over-anxious to greet me... "excited-dominant" as they say...So, I used The Dog Whisperer's suggestion: no touch, no talk, no eye contact.
I carried on a conversation with my neighbor as if his dog were not really there... (This wasn't easy since Bear kept putting her nose in my hand for me to pet her... She is almost waist high *difficult to tell from this picture*
Now, she approaches me calmly, with her head bowed low, offers me her paw and rolls over *in the middle of the road* to show me her tummy.
I love being a pack leader ; )