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    Home » How Dog Breeds Affect Your Homeowners Insurance
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    How Dog Breeds Affect Your Homeowners Insurance

    insurancejournalnewsBy insurancejournalnewsFebruary 27, 2025No Comments6 Mins Read
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    Homeowners insurance policies often exclude certain dog breeds from coverage, which can be a major concern for dog owners.

    Large dog breeds, more than smaller ones, are often targeted due to the potential severity of a bite, not just the frequency. If you have a dog that insurance companies deem ‘high-risk,’ pet liability insurance may be a solid alternative to ensure financial protection.

    While dogs are beloved companions, they represent an inherent risk, especially when it comes to securing homeowners insurance. Let’s explore how specific dog breeds can impact your ability to get coverage or, at the very least, increase your premiums. This article will delve into the issue of dog breeds and homeowners insurance, providing insights into aggressive breeds and the impact they have on your coverage.

    How Dog Breeds Influence Homeowners Insurance

    Most standard homeowners policies provide liability coverage that covers damage or injuries your dog causes to other people or their property. However, your dog’s breed can significantly affect the scope and availability of that coverage.

    Why Insurers Consider Dog Breeds

    Insurance providers are very careful about assessing dog breeds because they aim to minimize risk and limit liability payouts. Deborah Turner, president of Dean Insurance Agency, which specializes in canine coverage, has witnessed various dog breeds fall in and out of favor with insurers over nearly three decades. Determining which breeds are banned is a complex matter. “It may be media driven, losses they have paid out on a certain breed, personal experience of underwriters, or reports about which breeds are biting,” Turner explains.

    How Owning Certain Breeds Can Influence Your Premium

    Because they always want to minimize their financial exposures, insurance companies often ban certain breeds or impose higher premiums, whether these restrictions are fully justified or not. These dogs are considered “aggressive” and “dangerous,” meaning they’re more likely to cause costly damage if they bite. These judgements are largely based on statistics linking particular breeds to a higher incidence of bite incidents and severe injuries.

    Aggressive and Dangerous Dog Breeds: What You Need to Know

    When insurers perceive your dog as aggressive and dangerous and add them to their dog breeds insurance blacklist, that means they will either deny coverage for your home entirely or issue a policy that explicitly excludes coverage if your dog injures someone or damages their property.

    Here are some of the common breeds that homeowners insurance companies tend to restrict.

    • Pit Bulls
    • Rottweilers
    • German Shepherds
    • Doberman Pinschers
    • Akitas
    • Siberian Huskies
    • Staffordshire Terriers
    • Great Danes
    • Chow Chows

    Why These Breeds Are Considered High-Risk by Insurers

    “Any dog breed can be aggressive,” stated Dr. Courtnye Jackson, a veterinarian and founder of The Pets Digest. However, insurers often restrict these breeds because they’re statistically more likely to cause costly bites.

    For example, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers aren’t necessarily more aggressive than other breeds, but their physical strength and powerful jaws can result in more severe injuries.

    The Most Dangerous Dog Breeds and Their Impact on Insurance

    Here’s a look at the stats behind dog attacks, how they influence liability coverage, and the role of Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) in shaping insurance policies.

    Statistics on Dog Attacks And How They Affect Liability Coverage

    The number of dog bite claims across the U.S. increased in 2023 to 19,062 from 17,597 in 2022, according to an analysis of homeowners insurance claims data by the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), representing an 8.3% increase. Liability claims related to dog bites and other dog-related injuries cost insurance companies $1.1 billion in 2023.

    For these reasons, many insurers try to control costs by using breed lists to deny coverage for specific dog breeds. If your dog is a breed considered dangerous and raises your risk of filing a claim, you may face higher premiums or outright denial of coverage.

    The Role of Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL)

    Breed-specific legislation refers to laws that regulate or ban dog breeds that are deemed dangerous to people and other animals. Common BSL applications include mandatory muzzling and spaying/neutering.

    BSL can influence insurance companies to enact discriminatory policies, including blacklists against certain dog breeds. Animal welfare and legal organizations, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, argue that BSL relies on misinformation and does little to protect citizens. However, insurance industry groups defend these practices and resist overturning them.

    Whether BSL applies to you depends on where you live, as some states have restrictions or outright bans.

    Alternatives If You Own a High-Risk Dog Breed

    If your current insurer excludes coverage for your dog, consider these alternatives:

    Finding Insurance Providers That Cover Aggressive Dog Breeds

    Just because one company denies coverage doesn’t mean another one will. Shop around and compare coverage options with multiple companies. Some insurers, including State Farm, Chubb, and USAA, accept even the most dangerous dog breeds.

    Pet Liability Insurance as an Option

    Pet liability insurance is an excellent alternative if you can’t find a standard insurance company that will cover your dog in a homeowners policy. This specialized policy specifically covers injury or damage caused by any dog.

    Nearly 800,000 Americans require medical attention due to dog bites each year, and over 17,000 insurance claims are filed because of dog bites. The average cost of those claims is almost $50,000. If you have liability coverage and include your dog on your homeowners policy, it will cover any associated damages up to your purchased limit. You could add this as an endorsement to your current home insurance policy or purchase it as a separate policy.

    Training and Certification to Reduce Perceived Risk

    Securing insurance coverage is just one part of being a responsible dog owner; training your dog, no matter its breed, is essential. “Start training early and recognize any signs of aggression early on so [you] can deal with them before it gets out of hand,” Jackson says. This can reduce your dog’s perceived risk and potentially lower your premiums.

    Consider getting your dog certified through the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. Some insurers may be more willing to cover breeds they usually restrict if they have this certification.

    Working with Insurance Brokers for Customized Coverage

    Talk to insurance brokers and agents about dog-related coverage, including for bites or property damage. Brokers and agents can offer insights into companies with flexible breed restrictions or specialized pet policies. They can also break down the fine print of any policy.

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