The Best Invisible Fence - 2021
We looked at the top 11 Invisible Fences and dug through the reviews from 41 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Invisible Fences.
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Our Picks For The Top Invisible Fences
- The Best Invisible Fence
- 1. Free Spirit In-Ground Invisible Fence
- 2. Extreme Dog Fence Standard Grade Electric Fence
- 3. PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment Systems
- 4. SportDOG In-Ground Invisible Fence System
- 5. Extreme Dog Fence Pro Grade Invisible Fence
- 6. PetSafe Stay+Play Wireless Fence
- 7. Pet Control HQ Wireless Combo Electric Dog Fence System
- 8. COVONO Invisible Fence for Dogs
- 9. PetSafe Basic In-Ground Fence
- 10. Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence
- 11. High Tech Pet Electronic Pet Containment Systems
Easy to InstallThis invisible fence is ideal for larger properties, as it's expandable up to 1 acre.
Training Flags IncludedEven if this invisible fence collar is submerged under 10 feet of water, it will still perform perfectly.
No Wire NeededThis wire-free system keeps your pet contained with either a special tone or the traditional static connection.
Large Coverage AreaThis invisible fence is expandable to cover an even larger area and allows for adding more than one dog.
Why we recommend these invisible fences?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 11 Invisible Fences and also dug through the reviews from 41 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Invisible Fences.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
Free Spirit In-Ground Invisible Fence
Our Take
Included with this invisible fence kit is one collar that fits all dogs 5 pounds and above. The collar is designed to issue a vibration and sound warning when the pup gets close to the fence. There are also five different shock levels to choose from, which means you'll be able to select the least intense shock that your dog responds to.
Our Invisible Fence Findings
Free Spirit In-Ground Invisible Fence
What We Liked: Included with this invisible fence kit is one collar that fits all dogs 5 pounds and above. The collar is designed to issue a vibration and sound warning when the pup gets close to the fence. There are also five different shock levels to choose from, which means you’ll be able to select the least intense shock that your dog responds to.
Extreme Dog Fence Standard Grade Electric Fence
What We Liked: Keep your dog safe within your property lines using this invisible fence. Although this system is designed for use with one dog, there is the option to purchase a system that can accommodate as many as five dogs. It’s easy to install and everything you need to train your dogs to use the system is found inside the kit.
PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment Systems
What We Liked: This invisible fence eliminates the need to bury wire, making installation a breeze. In addition to allowing the ability to move your system to a new location if necessary, you can add pets by merely purchasing another collar. You can also set it to only issue a tone when your dog breaches the boundary, which may be a big help with training.
SportDOG In-Ground Invisible Fence System
What We Liked: You’ll get some of the benefits of a wireless system with this invisible fence, which is a hybrid model. You can easily add more dogs to this system by purchasing extra collars, but you’ll pay more than $100 each. If you have more than an acre of land, this may be the best choice for your home since it offers coverage for 1.3 acres, with expandability to 10 acres for an extra cost.
Extreme Dog Fence Pro Grade Invisible Fence
What We Liked: With waterproof boundary wire and a smart transmitter system, this electric dog fence is an easy way to contain your dog without needing to build a large fence.
The Extreme Dog Fence is a system that keeps your dog from leaving your property without the hassle of having to erect a fence.
This dog fence system provides a collar for your dog that has the ability to shock them if they wander beyond their designated area.
The collar is made from a standard nylon webbing material that is red in color. If the red collar isn’t what you want, you can remove the hardware from this collar and attach it to whatever collar you choose. There are two different sets of contact probes that are interchangeable based on what is best for your dog.
The fence itself has a digital transmitter with a power supply. It comes with 1,000 feet of 14-gauge boundary wire with a polyethylene jacket for protection.
You will bury the wire around the perimeter of the area you have chosen, generally your entire yard or one part of your yard. The wire should be buried between 1-inch and 18-inches deep for best practice, but they include landscaping staples in case you need to have the wire aboveground. In this case, you would use the staple to hold the wire down to the ground as low as possible so it isn’t a tripping hazard.
If you have an existing fence, this wire can also be run along the fence itself. If you want to have a boundary in a pond or lake, the coated wire even allows you to install it underwater.
The digital transmitter is the final piece of the puzzle and the brains of the system. You will set your signal field width on the transmitter which will determine how far from the fence that the collar will activate. You can cycle through AM radio frequencies to find one that works best.
The transmitter is to be mounted indoors as it is not waterproof and it should be more than three feet away from any large metallic objects.
There is a feature called TEMP CHECK that uses outdoor temperatures to constantly alter the range of the fence to keep it accurate to your initial settings.
WIRE CHECK is another feature that identifies wire problems and can alter the strength of the signal to make sure your boundary width is consistent as well.
The transmitter will even monitor the strength of the battery in the dog’s collar to ensure that it is on and working when it should be.
Our Invisible Fence Buying Guide
Life with a dog in today’s neighborhoods can be tough. Some don’t allow fences and even in those that do, the type of fencing allowed can be extremely expensive. Taking a dog out on a leash multiple times a day gets old quickly. Plus, dogs benefit from being able to run and play freely.
Invisible fencing is a great alternative to pricey, obstructive fencing. Today’s invisible fencing options mean you don’t even have to bury a wire if you prefer. After an initial training period, you’ll hopefully find your dog doesn’t even try to cross the barrier, keeping Fido safe while also giving him the freedom to roam.
The biggest decision you’ll face when you commit to buying an electric fence is whether to go with a wireless or traditional model. Traditional electric fences involve burying wire — a process that can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although wireless fences clearly have that advantage, they do have a few issues. They use a transmitter to send a signal, which means bulky items can interfere. They also may not work as well on smaller yards or in bad weather.
Weather is a consideration with all electric fences. It’s important to make sure the collar that comes along with any electric fence you buy is waterproof. Otherwise, it could short out and harm your dog. You’ll find many of the collars on the market offer that feature. Another weakness of electric fences is that they keep your dog contained, but they don’t restrict your yard from visitors. For this reason, you may want to keep an eye on your dog and have a plan in case a stray dog, critter or even a person happens to walk through your yard.
Electric fencing has been associated with sending a shock to the dog, but many of today’s units use sound as a deterrent, with the jolt being the final measure. A continuous beep will warn the dog who, when properly trained, will gradually learn to avoid that area. Some dogs never even need a physical warning.
Overall, though, many people have found electric fences provide a great level of security. Once trained, you’ll find your dog likely doesn’t even stray to the edge of the yard. Experts recommend multiple short training sessions initially with flags around the yard. You’ll walk your dog on a leash, helping him learn the boundary area. As the dog nears the boundary, the unit will beep, eventually teaching him to avoid that area.
DWYM Fun Fact
You may have only begun hearing about electric fencing for dogs in recent years, but the technology has actually been in use for more than a century. You likely first heard about the electric fence in a movie since it was initially used to deter people from crossing certain barrier lines.
It was invented in New Zealand in 1936 by an inventor who wanted to deter his horses from getting close to his car. At first, this type of fencing was expensive and had a limited range. It became more prevalent in the 1960s, when an inventor adjusted the technology, making it not only more affordable but safer.
Invisible pet fences came along in the 1970s when a traveling salesman named Richard Peck came up with the idea for what would become known as the Invisible Fence brand. The fence provided a way to train pets to stay in their yard that was safer than traditional electric fencing.
The Invisible Fence Tips and Advice
- The first choice you’ll need to make is whether you want a traditional buried-wire fence or a wireless system. PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment is a wireless model, which means you won’t have to install any wire. This also makes it more flexible than wired models, which will require you to dig up any existing wire or install new wire if you ever want to alter the range. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System is a hybrid model that uses a combination of a wireless receiver and wire in the ground to keep pets safe.
- Some households have more than one dog. Even if that isn’t you yet, consider that you may eventually decide Benji needs a companion. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System can be expanded using SDF-R Add-A-Dog Collars. With PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment, you can buy additional collars at a more affordable price, which could sway you in the direction of a wireless fence.
- Some companies sell their systems based on the number of dogs you have, with the price jumping up significantly from one to two or three dogs. The big negative to this is that if you add a dog later, you’ll have to upgrade your system rather than just adding another collar.
- This may not top your list of features, but some systems are able to offer fitness tracking. You’ll be able to see the percentage of time your dog spends resting versus active, as well as how much of that active time is spent engaging in mild and intense activity.
- Coverage area is important as well. SportDOG In-Ground Fence System covers 1.3 acres out of the box. You can purchase more flag receptors to increase that up to 10 acres. With other systems, you’ll choose from 500 feet to 2,500 feet, with the latter option only increasing the cost slightly. However, you can purchase additional wire to expand that unit up to 10 acres. The PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment covers up to half an acre, but it’s important to note that wireless units rely on a signal. You’ll be able to adjust within 90 feet in each direction, so that can put restrictions on the area in which you can use it.
- Dog size can also restrict which unit you choose, especially if you have an extremely small dog. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System is limited to dogs over 10 pounds, while PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment works with dogs as small as 8 pounds, with neck sizes between 6 and 28 inches.
- If you’re working with a budget, you’ll find many electric fences range in price. However, you’ll add to that price if you want to expand your coverage area or if you have more than one pet to safeguard.
- Any purchase of a new electric fence will start with a training period. Some of today’s fences use tone-based correction, with the shock kicking in only once that part of correction fails. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System sends a tone and vibrates the collar as the dog nears the boundary area, which will be enough to encourage some dogs to back off. The PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment has a tone-only mode that you can use during training.
- As for the physical correction portion of your electric fencing, the SportDOG In-Ground Fence System uses four correction levels that you set, each increasing in intensity. The PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment has five correction levels.
- You probably already know that water and electricity don’t mix very well, but your dog will still have to go out when it’s raining. For that reason, there are many waterproof collars now. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System and the PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment have waterproof collars.
- If there’s an issue with your in-ground wire, you may not realize it until it’s too late. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System remedies that by sending an alarm if a problem is detected with the boundary wire.
- With in-ground systems, you’ll, unfortunately, need to do some digging and burying when your wire first arrives. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System includes an installation manual to help walk you through it.
- Your collars will come with batteries that have to be replaced. But these collars are known for going through batteries fairly quickly. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System takes a standard 9-volt battery that you can buy in any hardware store. The PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment collar, on the other hand, requires a special replacement battery that you have to special order every time.
- One additional benefit of a wireless fence like PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment is portability. If you move, you simply pack up all your items and go. With in-ground systems, you’ll need to dig everything up and install it at the new location.
- Another safety feature not found on all electric fences is lightning surge protection. The SportDOG In-Ground Fence System has that protection built into its transmitter.
- Look for a system that also includes an operating guide with training tips to help walk you through those tough early days.
- One benefit of certain systems is that they include bark control. This will help with cutting down on barking, which can be particularly important if you live in close proximity to other homes.
About The Author
Stephanie Faris is a novelist and professional writer. She is the doting dog mom of a rescue dog named Shelby. Her pet-related content has appeared on a variety of sites, and she's also written about pets as a ghostwriter for marketing firms. Her book "Piper Morgan to the Rescue," about a young girl who works at a rescue shelter, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2016.