Jasmine (boxer, labrador retriever, and greyhound mix) has been a part of my family for several years now. She enjoys being in the house but also likes her outside time, especially during warmer weather. Unfortunately, she tends to run off at times and get herself into trouble with neighbors, skunks, other dogs, or traffic, so we need to put her on a leash or tie out cable when she goes outside with us for any length of time. 

She somehow managed to break the older cable that we have been using for her over the past few months, so I needed to pick up a new one. Since the store was out of the usual 20-25 foot cables that I normally purchase, I had to temporarily make due with a ten foot cable. Even though it wasn't what I wanted, it would keep her safe from hazards until I could pick up a longer, heavier duty cable elsewhere the next day.The cable I purchased was the Cadet 10 Foot Tie Out Cable. I paid around $4 for the ten foot cable at our local Family Dollar, knowing that it was not the best choice for her, but should work for a short term outing.

First, let me say that this cable is intended for dogs up to 25 pounds, and she weighs double that, but it also claims to have a 400 pound break strength, so I thought that it should hold her as long as she didn't get really excited and run full speed to the end of it. I wouldn't expect it to hold up to her antics if she got as hyper as she gets at times, but I did expect that it would hold up until other arrangements could be made.

The Cadet 10 Foot Tie Out Cable is made of strong galvanized aircraft cable with weather resistant vinyl coating. Although it is more lightweight than her previous cable, it looks similar other than having a clear vinyl coating rather than the familiar red coating of her old cable. The cable comes neatly rolled in a pegable cardboard and plastic package. Each end of the cable has a metal clip attached so it is easy to clasp one end to her collar and the other end can either be clasped to a metal ring, chain link or other small surface, or you can wrap the other end around a pole or other object and clip it to itself. I often clip her to the porch rail just outside my front door so she is within easy reach and can let me know when she wants to come back inside. Just be sure that you clip it to a sturdy surface that can't be easily pulled around or you might be surprised where the dog and anchor end up. I found this out one time when attempting to use a cement block as a portable anchor while taking her with us to a family reunion. She wanted to join the party, but I anchored her out of reach of people who were trying to eat. She pulled the block with her and joined the party anyway.

In any case, this cable is much lighter weight than needed for a dog like her, but still should have easily held  up for a day or two. Unfortunately, it did not. We put her on the cable and within an hour, she was wandering around dragging the cable behind her. She had pulled on the cable even though the cable itself was undamaged, the metal clip from the end of the cable had simply popped off. Even though the cable is not intended for a dog her size, I don't think that was the problem. If this cable is rated at 400 pound pulling strength, it should not have been so easily pulled apart. I'm not sure if we got a defective cable or if these cables are all put together in such a way as to easily come apart, but this cable should not have broken by her actions during such a short time frame. I checked the other clip and it seemed to be intact, however even one end breaking is not a good thing.

To be fair, this cable would probably work better for small breeds and puppies up to 25 pounds which is what it is rated for, however I am still bothered by the fact that the clip broke so quickly. I might have expected it if she ran full speed and jerked the end apart, or if one of her favorite visitors got her excited, but there was no reason for it to break so easily. I expected to be able to use it for a short time for her, then keep it on hand for eventual use with the puppies as needed. Even though the remainder of the tie out rope can still be used in a pinch by tying it to something, it isn't the easiest to tie these cables securely together, and was a big disappointment.

Please remember to provide proper supervision when using this or any other dog tie out product. Always be sure that your pet has plenty of fresh water within easy reach. Regularly inspect cables for signs of damage, and replace as necessary.

If you have a small breed dog or puppy that is pretty good about staying in the yard even without being tied, you could probably get away with this cable. If you have a larger dog, or even a more aggressive puppy, I would certainly pass on this cable. I am being generous and giving this a 3 star rating only because my dog did not fall within the recommended weight range, however I don't feel that this cable would have held up much better to a more active small dog or puppy. 

The Cadet 10 Foot Tie Out Cable is made in China and is distributed by IMS Pet Industries Inc.
www.imspet.com


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Recommended: No