Invisible fences are a great way to contain your pet without needing to install a full physical fence.
Whether you had your fence professionally installed or bought a kit, it will include a transmitter and collar that pair together.
Let’s look at what type of collars invisible fences use, whether or not they’re interchangeable, and how to know.
Will any collar work with Invisible Fence? If you’re wondering about receiver collars and how they pair up, then keep on reading.
Will Any Collar Work With Invisible Fence Brand?
Invisible fences use a receiver collar. For best results, pair with a collar from the same brand. You can often mix brands as long as the collar is a receiver type.
Double-check the manual to see if the model numbers are compatible.
We dug into the nitty gritty of collar swapping in this article that covers the types of collars compatible with Invisible Fence.
Types of Dog Collars – Are They Compatible?
To start off, there are many different types of collars out there for your dog.
Let’s take a look at the most common types that you might see:
- Bark Collars – These detect excessive barking and respond with a static correction. It may also come with remote control.
Bark collars are not compatible with invisible fences.
- Leash Collars – These are the typical nylon or leather collar with a couple of D rings. One is to hold identification tags and the other is to pair with the leash.
You must use one of these while training your dog to an invisible fence, but it is not the same as a receiver collar.
- Harnesses – These are an alternative to collars. They control the dog around the front legs and chest so the dog doesn’t choke.
They’re excellent for keeping dogs from jumping.
- Receiver Collars – This is the only type of collar that will work with any brand of invisible fence. It has a battery and prongs on the neck.
It is wirelessly paired to the transmitter frequency to mark the boundary.
- GPS Collars – These look like receiver collars but they aren’t the same and are not compatible with wireless fences.
A GPS collar is self-contained. It can track and provide a virtual fence but it works via satellite rather than radio signals.
When it comes to an invisible fence of any type they will come with a receiver collar. Your best bet is to buy another receiver collar from the same brand.
The main reason for this is because receiver collars have a specific box on them which helps to receive the signal and also deliver correction when needed.
Not all collars have radio frequency compatibility.
What is a Receiver Collar?
If you aren’t very familiar with invisible fences and how they work, then you might not completely understand the function of the receiver collar.
Receiver collars are one of the biggest parts that make an invisible fence functional.
A receiver collar is a collar that you’ll get with your invisible fence kit system.
This collar will be worn by your dog whenever they’re outside, and you’ll notice a small box attached to it.
What is the Box on the Receiver Collar for?
This box is where all the magic happens.
The box attached to the collar has two probes that sit up against your dog’s skin, which is where the static correction will come from.
The box is also what connects the collar to the virtual boundary line.
This collar is the main component in receiving a signal that your dog is outside of the boundary, and it also releases a static correction when necessary.
When choosing the best receiver collar or invisible fence system for your dog there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Your dog’s weight and size
- Your dog’s neck size
- Available static correction levels
If you haven’t decided which type of fence you want, we can give you a hand. We put a bunch of them to the test and a handful of them came out on top.
Read all about our testing and our top electric fence for dogs picks in this full guide!
Are Invisible Dog Fence Collars Interchangeable?
So, are invisible dog fence collars interchangeable?
Most invisible dog fence collars are interchangeable between brands as long as you’re getting a receiver collar that has radio frequency compatibility.
NOTE: Different types of invisible fences have different types of receiver collars. The one you pick has to be for the right type of fence.
Below are the 3 types of invisible fences.
Keep in mind that the collars are not interchangeable between these types of fences:
- In-Ground Invisible Fence – This type of collar detects proximity to a buried wire.
- Wireless Invisible Fence – This type of collar is connected to the transmitter by a radio frequency.
- GPS Invisible Fence – This type of collar connects to GPS satellites to create and maintain your dog’s boundary area.
If you have a wireless dog fence system then you will need to find a receiver collar that works with a wireless dog fence.
If you have an in-ground dog fence system then you’ll need to find an in-ground fence collar.
You won’t need to buy an additional collar for a GPS virtual fence because each collar is a self-contained fence.
How Do You Know if Receiver Collars Are Interchangeable?
When it comes to finding a receiver collar that is compatible with your system, there are a few different things you should look out for when determining if they’re interchangeable.
- What type of fence do you have? Determine what type of transmitter you have to determine what type of receiver collar you need to pair with it.
- What brand of fence do you have? Your best bet is to get a replacement collar from the same brand. However, some brands make collars that pair with quite a few name-brand fences.
- What type of collar do you need? This is determined by the type of fence you have.
If you’re looking for a basic receiver collar then you can look through your invisible fence manual to see what compatible collars will work with it.
If your manual isn’t available, we recommend checking out a collar compatibility sheet such as this one.
This will help to determine which collars will work with your system so that you can explore all the options you have whether they are within that brand or not.
If you’re buying a collar from an online store, they will usually list the fences and model numbers that are compatible.
Are All Invisible Fence Collars the Same?
No, not all invisible fence collars are the same.
They differ in the way that they create and maintain the perimeter, so different types of collars aren’t interchangeable.
In-ground fences use a buried wire to connect to the receiver collar so that the static correction can be released once near the boundary wire.
Wireless dog fences use a radio signal to determine when the dog is close or outside the boundary line.
Because these two dog fence systems work differently it prevents their receiver collars from being interchangeable.
Read our related article, Is a Wired or Wireless Dog Fence Better? for a more exhaustive look into these types of fences!
Are Pet Stop Collars Compatible With Invisible Fence Brand?
Pet Stop is a well-known brand that offers lots of different products such as collars, fences, and extra parts.
This is a common brand that comes up when looking for extra or replacement receiver collars.
Pet Stop receiver collars are compatible with Invisible Fence Brand.
When looking for a receiver collar on their website, be sure to take into consideration what type of fence you have.
Remember that if you aren’t sure if they are compatible you can always contact the manufacturer or you can check a compatibility sheet such as the one given by the PetSafe brand.
Here are some Invisible Fence Brand transmitter types that the Pet Stop receiver collar works with:
- ICT-700
- ICT-725
- ICT-250
- ICT-150
- ICT-100
- AT-950 Indoor Transmitter
These are just a few of the popular transmitter types, but Pet Stop is compatible with other transmitters.
Just be sure to check the sheet or look at your manual to find the full list of compatible transmitters.
Read our related article on Pet Stop Compatible Collars to see 5 collars that work with Pet Stop systems!
Will a PetSafe Collar Work With Premier Pet?
PetSafe and Premier Pet are both popular brands for dog fences, collars, and replacement parts.
Since both of these brands offer wireless fence options, then both of these are able to work interchangeably.
However, an in-ground fence will not work with a wireless fence receiver collar.
So as long as both the PetSafe collar and Premier Pet transmitter are both wireless or both in-ground then they will be compatible.
If you have a Premier Pet wireless dog fence then here are some compatible PetSafe receiver collar options:
- PetSafe Stay & Play Collar
- PetSafe Wireless Dog Fence Receiver Collar
- PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Collar
Is PetSafe Compatible With SportDOG?
PetSafe and SportDOG both provide in-ground invisible dog fences.
It’s important to remember that an in-ground transmitter can only work with in-ground compatible receiver collars.
As long as the two systems are made for in-ground use, then the PetSafe receiver collars can work with a SportDOG in-ground fence system.
Here are a few compatible collars from PetSafe that can be used with the SportDOG fence:
- PetSafe In-Ground Pet Fence Collar
- PetSafe Stubborn Dog In-Ground Fence Collar
- PetSafe Rechargeable In-Ground Fence Collar
If you can’t seem to figure out if your system is compatible, then you can check this out to determine compatibility for in-ground fences.
Can You Replace a Receiver Collar?
Yes, you can replace all or part of a receiver collar.
If your dog has chewed through the nylon strap you can replace it with a new one or you can replace the entire unit.
Here are a few reasons you might need another receiver collar:
- The cloth collar part is broken
- Your collar is defective or does not work anymore
- The collar got lost
- You need to add an additional pet
- You need a different-sized collar
Finding a replacement collar is easy when you look at a compatibility sheet, but when in doubt it’s best to stick with a collar that is the same brand as your invisible fence system.
Setting up your receiver collar replacement shouldn’t take long.
Whether you need to replace just the cloth portion, or if you need a whole new receiver collar, it’s possible to do either.
Can You Add Another Receiver Collar to Your Transmitter?
The awesome thing about invisible dog fences is that you can buy extra receiver collars to add additional pets to your invisible fence.
This keeps an unlimited amount of dogs contained within your system.
All that is required is that you purchase an additional receiver collar and set it up with your existing transmitter or in-ground system.
This will allow you to add the additional dog, and have the system work to keep all dogs contained.
Almost every brand offers the ability to buy receiver collars separately for this reason.
Here are a few top brands that offer stand-alone receiver collars:
- Premier Pet
- PetSafe
- SportDOG
- Pet Stop
- Extreme Fence
We love the cost savings, ease, and security of adding additional collars to the same invisible fence.
The Bottom Line
Most invisible fence receiver collars can work interchangeably with any fence system as long as they are the same type of fence (in-ground or wireless).
If you’re unsure about what’s compatible with your system, be sure to check the manual for more information.
