To you, Fido is just a cuddly, loyal companion. But to others — including your homeowners’ insurance policy writers — your dog is a potential threat. What makes a dog a true liability to your household and under what conditions does your canine pal make it difficult or impossible to get home insurance?
Why Insurance Companies Care About Your Dog
Dogs are capable of inflicting quite a lot of damage if they attack. And because many breeds of dogs were originally used as guard dogs or fighting dogs, the concern is that those breeds may be more likely to inflict harm on innocent visitors to your home or property.
It’s not just a concern, but a reality. According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bite claims were responsible for more than a third of all the liability payments made in 2013, the most recent year that data is available. What’s more, over the past decade, the average cost of each claim has increased as much as 45 percent, mostly due to the increased health care costs of treating the related injuries.
What Breeds Are Considered Dangerous
“Tough” or aggressive dog breeds get most worrisome when they become popular. Unscrupulous breeders try to make a quick buck by producing litters of less than healthy puppies, which grow to have physical and mental issues. As these dogs are bred, pretty soon a particular breed gets more aggressive and gets a bad reputation. (Just for the record, the myth about specific dog breeds having their brains get too big for their skulls is a myth — bad breeding and socialization is to blame for almost all aggression in domestic dogs.)
Each insurance company with restrictions or higher premiums for households with dogs will have different lists of which breeds or mixes qualify as risky. It’s a good bet that pit bull terriers and rottweilers will be on those lists, however — pits were responsible for 27 of the 42 dog bite deaths in the U.S. last year, while rottweilers caused four of the deaths. Not all insurance companies will have restrictions on dogs, so shop around if you get denied by one firm. Also, some states disallow dangerous breeds lists.
How to Make Your Dog Less Risky
A well-socialized dog is unlikely to bite. Making sure your puppy is comfortable with all kinds of people and is, for example, humanely disciplined for jumping up on visitors is an important piece of having a polite dog. Other steps you can take:
Never allow your dog to be alone with children — yours or others. Always make sure an adult is closely supervising any interaction.
Spay or neuter your pet to reduce hormonal aggression.
Don’t bother your dog when it is sleeping or eating, and make sure others don’t either.
Take your dog to obedience classes.
Make sure your dog gets regular exercise. Some breeds need more exercise than others, and skipping even a day can lead to pent-up energy and aggression.
Talk to your home insurance agent before you add any new dog to your household. You may avoid an unpleasant surprise if your company drops your policy due to a risky breed that you’ve added to your household. To find out more, speak with a company like Trent Insurance Group Inc.
Why Insurance Companies Care About Your Dog
Dogs are capable of inflicting quite a lot of damage if they attack. And because many breeds of dogs were originally used as guard dogs or fighting dogs, the concern is that those breeds may be more likely to inflict harm on innocent visitors to your home or property.
It’s not just a concern, but a reality. According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bite claims were responsible for more than a third of all the liability payments made in 2013, the most recent year that data is available. What’s more, over the past decade, the average cost of each claim has increased as much as 45 percent, mostly due to the increased health care costs of treating the related injuries.
What Breeds Are Considered Dangerous
“Tough” or aggressive dog breeds get most worrisome when they become popular. Unscrupulous breeders try to make a quick buck by producing litters of less than healthy puppies, which grow to have physical and mental issues. As these dogs are bred, pretty soon a particular breed gets more aggressive and gets a bad reputation. (Just for the record, the myth about specific dog breeds having their brains get too big for their skulls is a myth — bad breeding and socialization is to blame for almost all aggression in domestic dogs.)
Each insurance company with restrictions or higher premiums for households with dogs will have different lists of which breeds or mixes qualify as risky. It’s a good bet that pit bull terriers and rottweilers will be on those lists, however — pits were responsible for 27 of the 42 dog bite deaths in the U.S. last year, while rottweilers caused four of the deaths. Not all insurance companies will have restrictions on dogs, so shop around if you get denied by one firm. Also, some states disallow dangerous breeds lists.
How to Make Your Dog Less Risky
A well-socialized dog is unlikely to bite. Making sure your puppy is comfortable with all kinds of people and is, for example, humanely disciplined for jumping up on visitors is an important piece of having a polite dog. Other steps you can take:
Never allow your dog to be alone with children — yours or others. Always make sure an adult is closely supervising any interaction.
Spay or neuter your pet to reduce hormonal aggression.
Don’t bother your dog when it is sleeping or eating, and make sure others don’t either.
Take your dog to obedience classes.
Make sure your dog gets regular exercise. Some breeds need more exercise than others, and skipping even a day can lead to pent-up energy and aggression.
Talk to your home insurance agent before you add any new dog to your household. You may avoid an unpleasant surprise if your company drops your policy due to a risky breed that you’ve added to your household. To find out more, speak with a company like Trent Insurance Group Inc.
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