Let’s face it: Gun dogs require a lot of gear. When you bring a pup home, you need a kennel, collar, and food and water bowls. Then you need a place board, eventually an e-collar, training birds, a whistle, dummies—the list goes on. But the one tool that is key to a handler’s gear arsenal that is often overlooked: a reliable way to stake out your dogs.

Tying your dogs out is an important piece of training, along with safety. It teaches a young pup patience (it’s not always their turn), it teaches them to give in to pressure on their neck without a handler on the other end, and it builds a calm and confident dog that is focused rather than exhausted when it is his time to train or hunt. And of course, a tie out is a vital piece of safety equipment. Rather than your dog running amuck around camp, next to a busy road, or bothering other dogs; a reliable tie out system allows your dogs to air out, rest and eat in peace, and keeps them securely tied until it’s time for adventure.

For many years, chains and picket type tie out systems have been used for sporting dogs. But chains are bulky and heavy, making them a pain to transport. Cables coated in PVC are a lighter, more popular option when it comes to tie outs. But what sets one cable apart from the next?

The Craftmanship of Cable Gangz

Brennan Landry, hunter and bird dog owner, was tired of failing swages and cables. A “DIY’er” instead of purchaser, Landry began making his own leashes and eventually cables when the need came for his three bird dogs. Born was Cable Gangz, a small business based out of Louisiana dedicated to making durable and lasting tie out systems for gun dog owners.

“My grandpa was a dog man and made tie out systems similar to what I make today,” explained Landry. “I started by mimicking what I had seen him make, but my creations didn’t last forever because I was swaging my cables over the PVC coating.”

Landry dedicated his free time to researching rigging techniques—the same techniques that professional riggers use in the construction and heavy machinery business. Taking the time to study, Landry would tinker, study, tinker, study, and eventually landed on a durable system that would last through hard use and abuse. The key to durability? Swaging techniques.

“Most tie-out cables are made with their swages over top of the PVC coating on the cables,” Landry explained. “That causes premature failure. We do what’s called ‘end-prepping’ before we swage. This is a time-consuming task where we remove the last section of the PVC coating, so the swages are made metal to metal.”

For maximum breaking strength, the metal of the ferrule needs direct contact with the cable surface when a compression is made—which doesn’t happen when swages are made over a PVC coating. To ensure ultimate durability and a quality product, Cable Gangz tests their rigged loops against a pull test to failure to ensure the cable fails before the rigged loops.

Customizable Dog Tie-Outs

From two dog systems to 10, Cable Gangz makes an assortment of tie out systems that fit your needs. But Landry doesn’t stop with just tie outs: Quick release systems are available for retriever training; drops that are made from mainline cable for the chewers in your pack; as well as roading rigs that are made to reduce the shock to your dog’s joints and tendons. Best part? All systems are completely customizable.

“We are the only company that offers as much customization as we do,” says Landry. “A customer can message me and request a 6.5-foot spacing instead of a 6-foot, or a 2-foot drop over something shorter. Whatever a customer needs to fit their set-up, we can make.”

Cable Gangz is made by a dedicated sportsman who understands the needs of bird dog owners and the need for durable and reliable tie outs. Products are sourced from American companies and made in Louisiana with care and precision.