Quick Answer: “Invisible fence” gets used two ways, and it matters which one you’re searching for. Invisible Fence® Brand is a specific trademarked company, founded in 1973, that sells only through local certified dealers with professional installation — typically $950-$2,500+. Most people who type “invisible fence brands” actually mean the broader DIY category: PetSafe (from $175-$285), SportDOG (rugged, large-property kits), and Extreme Dog Fence (heavy-gauge wire, independent company). The surprising part: PetSafe, SportDOG, and Invisible Fence® Brand are all owned by the same parent company, so you’re often comparing price tiers within one corporate family, not truly independent brands.
If you’ve searched “invisible fence brands” expecting a simple list of competitors, the actual landscape is a little stranger than that — and knowing the backstory can save you a few hundred dollars before you call anyone for a quote.
Invisible fence brands, by the numbers
- 1973 — the year Invisible Fence® Brand was founded, making it the original company behind the buried-wire containment concept, per the company’s own history.
- $950-$2,500 typical professional installation cost for a standard suburban lot, per HomeGuide’s 2026 contractor-pricing data — see our full invisible fence cost breakdown.
- $175-$285 for a comparable DIY kit from PetSafe covering up to 1/3 acre, per PetSafe’s own pricing — the same category of hardware, minus installation labor.
- One parent company — PetSafe Brands (formerly Radio Systems Corporation) — owns PetSafe, SportDOG, and Invisible Fence® Brand, per the company’s own brand-history page.
The name got genericized, like “Kleenex” or “Xerox”
Invisible Fence® Brand is the original: a company founded in 1973 that pioneered the buried-wire, static-correction containment system now common across the category. For decades it sold exclusively through a network of local certified dealers — no retail boxes, no Amazon listing, just a consultation, a custom design for your yard, professional trenching, and a structured training program. Because it got there first and marketed hard, “invisible fence” slowly became the generic name for the whole category, the same way people say “Kleenex” for any tissue. That’s why a search for “invisible fence brands” today mostly surfaces DIY competitors like PetSafe and SportDOG rather than the original trademarked company itself.
The twist: three of the biggest names share one parent company
Here’s the part that most brand-comparison lists skip: PetSafe, SportDOG, and Invisible Fence® Brand are not independent competitors. All three are owned by PetSafe Brands (the company formerly known as Radio Systems Corporation, itself owned by the private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice). In practice, that means the budget DIY kit, the rugged large-acreage kit, and the premium white-glove professional install are three price tiers from the same corporate family, not three companies racing to out-engineer each other. Extreme Dog Fence is the one major name in this list that’s genuinely independent — a separate company, not part of the PetSafe/SportDOG/Invisible Fence group.
| Brand | Parent company | Sales model | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invisible Fence® Brand | PetSafe Brands | Certified dealer only, professional install | $950-$2,500+ | Large/complex lots, hands-off buyers |
| PetSafe | PetSafe Brands | Retail/Amazon DIY kits | $175-$285 | Flat, average-size yards; budget |
| SportDOG | PetSafe Brands | Retail/Amazon DIY kits | $200-$350 | Large properties, stubborn/large breeds |
| Extreme Dog Fence | Independent | Direct/Amazon DIY kits | $250-$450+ | Heavy-gauge wire, rural lots, 24/7 support |
What this actually means for your buying decision
Knowing the ownership doesn’t make Invisible Fence® Brand a bad choice — the certified-dealer model genuinely includes design, trenching, and a full year of hands-on training that a $200 DIY box doesn’t. It does mean you shouldn’t assume the premium buys fundamentally different containment technology than PetSafe or SportDOG use, since all three ultimately answer to the same parent company. If your yard is flat, average-sized, and you’re comfortable spending a weekend trenching, a PetSafe In-Ground Fence kit gets you the same core hardware category for a fraction of the professional price. If you want the dealer relationship, custom design for a tricky lot, and someone else doing the digging, Invisible Fence® Brand’s local consultation is worth pricing out directly. Either way, comparing kits between brands ships fast enough to test before committing to a contractor’s schedule — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days and a PetSafe or Extreme Dog Fence kit typically arrives in two days.
PetSafe In-Ground Fence System — the DIY entry point
- Same core containment category as a professional Invisible Fence Brand install — transmitter, buried wire, waterproof static-correction collar.
- Ships with roughly 500 ft of wire and training flags; no dealer visit or contract required.
- A realistic weekend project for flat, obstacle-light yards; rocky or heavily landscaped lots are where the professional install starts to earn its fee.
The bottom line
“Invisible fence brands” isn’t a simple list of independent competitors — it’s one original trademarked company (Invisible Fence® Brand, dealer-only, professional install) that gave its name to a whole DIY category, and three of the best-known names in that category (PetSafe, SportDOG, and Invisible Fence Brand itself) share a single parent company. Extreme Dog Fence is the real outside competitor if you specifically want a brand outside that family. For most yards, a PetSafe or Extreme Dog Fence DIY kit gets the same category of containment as a professional install for a fraction of the price — see our full invisible fence for dogs comparison for hardware picks, or the invisible fence cost breakdown if a dealer quote is what you’re actually trying to budget for. If a buried wire at all feels like more than your yard needs, our best wireless dog fence guide covers the no-dig alternative.