The hunting dogs that I have seen that the owners have played "tug of war" with, end up with game animals with tooth puncture holes all through them!
And, as casterpollox said, it's much tougher to get something out of the dogs mouth if they have played tug of war.
I'll also say that "fetch" is a command! Until your dog is old enough for training, you should just be playing with him.
When I train Nos on "fetch" it will look a little like this;
-dog sitting in front of me, under my immediate control on leash or lead, say fetch & put the object in his mouth. Make him hold it till you command "give". Extend this time as you progress in the first step of training "fetch". You must be gentle but firm, no harsh physical force is needed, your just not giving him the opportunity to NOT do it.
-next, if you've done the above enough, & with the dog under your control, you will notice that you don't have to put the object in his mouth, he will actually reach for it in your hand. Repeat this until he is reliable in reaching for it in your hand.
-next, if you've done the 2 steps above enough, & with the dog under your control, you put the object on the ground & say fetch, he'll pick it up. Remember, he is to hold it till you say "give". If he drops it, simply put it back in his mouth, say fetch & have him hold it till you say "give".
Finally, step 3, you just keep extending the distance. Now, make sure the dog is on leash or a long lead. When you command "fetch" he MUST put something in his mouth, NO EXCEPTIONS! If he falls off the rails, back up one step & do some more work.
PATIENCE is the key! No forcing, just be gentle, consistent & determined. He wants to learn & please you, he just doesn't know what you want till you show him step by step!
Fetch is a command, NOT a game!
Cheers
Jay
