PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence, wireless (radio) dog fence

Images: PetSafe

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence review

Name: PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence
Brand: PetSafe

PetSafe · Wireless (radio) dog fence

8.8Very good · out of 10

Not GPS, and that is the point: a plug-in transmitter draws a steady circle, for dogs from 5 lb and no plan.

Radio boundary from a plug-in transmitter: no satellite drift, but a circle only
Fits dogs from 5 lb and 6 months old
About 3 weeks per charge

$324.99

PetSafe official store, price checked on November 9, 2026. $325 over 3 years, no plan to pay.

View offer at PetSafe ↗$324.99

Compare with its rivals ↗

Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our scores.

Specs

Type	Wireless (radio) dog fence
Device price	$324.99 on November 9, 2026
Plan	No subscription: an indoor transmitter creates the boundary.
3-year cost	$325 (device + no plan)
Containment	Circle around a transmitter: 1 circular boundary, 22 to 105 ft in every direction
Works without cell service	Yes, the fence runs from the collar
Positioning	Radio signal from a transmitter, not GPS
Live tracking	No tracking
Boundary cues	Tone-only mode and 5 levels of static; no vibration mode
Battery	About 3 weeks per charge, 2-3 hour recharge
Dog size	From 5 lb (stated by PetSafe)
Neck size	6 to 28 in
Yard size	Circular boundary from 22 to 105 ft radius (up to 3/4 acre); needs an outlet indoors
Water resistance	Waterproof receiver collar
Warranty and returns	PetSafe one-year limited warranty; 45-day returns on petsafe.com
Availability	In stock at the official US store

In the box

Transmitter with power adaptor
Waterproof receiver collar
Receiver charger
Training flags
Test light tool
Contact points and wrench
Quick start and training guides

Where to buy

PetSafe official store ↗	$324.99

Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our scores. Affiliate disclosure

How we score

Same criteria and weights for every device: containment and the 3-year cost count most, and static correction never earns points.

Raw score (weighted average)	7.4/10
Displayed score (editorial scale)	8.8/10

Read the full methodology ↗

Price checked on November 9, 2026

$325 over 3 years, no plan to pay

45-day return window

By Sam Rivera, the editorial team · Updated November 9, 2026

Compared with its rivals

The two alternatives we would look at next, with their 3-year cost.

Compare: side-by-side table ↗

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence

8.8Very good · out of 10

$325 over 3 years
Subscription: none
Checked price: $324.99

This device ↑

Halo Collar 4

9.2Excellent · out of 10

Any shape from 900 sq ft, live tracking, plan required
$744 over 3 years
Subscription: required, from $8.74/mo
Checked price: $424

Read the review ↗

PawTronic Pro Series 2

8.8Very good · out of 10

GPS, from 7.9 lb, no subscription, $278.99
$279 over 3 years
Subscription: none
Checked price: $278.99

Read the review ↗

$325 over three years

$324.99 once: no plan to pay for.

Great if…

your dog is tiny (from 5 lb) or your yard is small
your house sits near the middle of the lot
your yard has big trees that would trouble a GPS collar

Skip it if…

your yard is a long strip or an odd shape
you want vibration cues: it has tone-only mode and 5 static levels, no vibration
you want tracking

What living with it looks like

You plug the transmitter in indoors, set the radius, place the training flags and you are done. The receiver collar warns with a tone near the edge; you can leave it on tone only or add one of 5 static levels. PetSafe says that with training and treats a dog can learn the boundary in about 2 weeks.

About 3 weeks per charge and a 2-3 hour recharge make it the lowest-maintenance collar here. Extra receiver collars are $159.99 each, which makes a second dog cheap.

By the numbers

3-year cost: $325
Subscription: None
Device: $324.99

The catch

A circle is a circle. If your lot is narrow, the boundary either cuts off part of the yard or spills into the street. The transmitter needs an outlet, ideally near the center of the area.

There is no vibration mode, so the cue past the tone is static. Warranty is PetSafe's 1-year limited warranty, with 45-day returns.

By the numbers

Battery: 21 days
Dogs from: 5 lb
Yard from: 1,500 sq ft

Buying advice

Checked at $324.99 on petsafe.com on November 9, 2026; extra receivers $159.99. No plan.

View offer at PetSafe ↗3-year cost calculator

By the numbers

Checked price: $324.99
Warranty: 1 year

The verdict

The PetSafe Stay & Play Compact is not a GPS fence, and that is its strength: a plug-in transmitter makes a circular boundary of 22 to 105 ft in every direction, so trees and satellite drift do not move the line. It fits dogs from 5 lb, lasts about 3 weeks per charge and needs no plan. It ranks second in our wireless-fence and small-dog rankings. The limit is the shape: a circle around your house.

View offer at PetSafe ↗All GPS dog fences ranked

How it compares

The PetSafe Stay & Play next to the two rivals above, from the official spec sheets and the US prices checked on November 9, 2026. Key spec = the 3-year cost.

Comparison tool

How the PetSafe Stay & Play compares with its rivals

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence	PetSafe	8.8	$324.99	$325 over 3 years · 21 days · dogs 5 lb+	Plug-in transmitter	1 year
Halo Collar 4	Halo	9.2	$424	$744 over 3 years · 40 h · dogs 10 lb+	Phone app over LTE	1 year
PawTronic Pro Series 2	PawTronic	8.8	$278.99	$279 over 3 years · 36 h · dogs 7.9 lb+	Collar only, no live tracking	Not stated

The score in detail

PetSafe Stay & Play gets 8.8/10 (very good) with our overall weights, from a raw weighted average of 7.4/10. Left out because no figure is stated or the criterion does not apply: positioning hardware. The scales are on the methodology page.

Containment

6.0/10

Weight: 22.2% of the overall score

3-year cost

9.2/10

Weight: 22.2% of the overall score

Live tracking

2.0/10

Weight: 11.1% of the overall score

Battery life

9.6/10

Weight: 11.1% of the overall score

Gentle boundary cues

7.0/10

Weight: 11.1% of the overall score

Fits small dogs

10.0/10

Weight: 8.9% of the overall score

Smallest yard

9.9/10

Weight: 7.8% of the overall score

Warranty

5.0/10

Weight: 5.6% of the overall score

By use, with the same figures and other weights: best wireless dog fence 9.1/10 (No. 2), for small dogs 9.3/10 (No. 2).

Frequently asked questions

Is the PetSafe Stay & Play a GPS fence?

No. It is a wireless radio fence: an indoor transmitter creates a circle of 22 to 105 ft radius around it. It does not drift with satellite signal, but it cannot follow an odd-shaped yard.

Can the Stay & Play work for a small dog?

Yes, PetSafe rates it for dogs from 5 lb and 6 months old, the smallest of the fences we compare.

Go further

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence review

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence

Compared with its rivals

PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence

Halo Collar 4

PawTronic Pro Series 2

$325 over three years

Great if…

Skip it if…

What living with it looks like

The catch

Buying advice

The verdict

How it compares

The score in detail

Containment

3-year cost

Live tracking

Battery life

Gentle boundary cues

Fits small dogs

Smallest yard

Warranty

Frequently asked questions

Go further

Rankings it appears in

Guides that mention it

Sources