Take the Bite Out of Insuring Your Home With Dogs

Countless Americans have man’s best friend in their house. When that is the case, it is important to be properly insured to protect against financial pitfalls.

As you may or may not know, what breed of dog you own, where you reside and who is your insurer can make it hard to purchase homeowners’ insurance that includes liability for your dog.

According to the Humane Society of the United States,, close to 40 percent of American households have at least one dog.

Given that the costs of dog-bite litigation continue upward, some insurers are saying no to writing coverage for owners of certain breeds. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) reports that dog-bite claims account for more than one-third of all homeowners’ insurance liability claims, costing insurance companies around $412 million in 2008 (most recent available stats), an increase of 6,4 percent from the prior year.

While checking with your insurance agent is the best first step, take note that some breeds may be looked upon as dangerous by insurance companies. They include: Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers and Great Danes among others.

Some homeowners’ insurance companies compiled lists of breeds and crossbreeds they refuse to insure, while other insurers look at such breeds on a case-by-case basis, or charge added costs for certain “biting” breeds.

Some insurers will sell consumers coverage regardless of what kind of dog they own, with one spokesperson noting there are good and bad dogs within each breed, just like there are responsible and irresponsible dog owners.

As it stands, State Farm does require policyholders to answers questions regarding their dogs when it comes to home insurance applications. Specifically, the insurer wants to determine if a dog has ever bitten an individual or if it has

In the event a dog has bitten an individual, State Farm will request details regarding the circumstances surrounding the bite to decide if it is likely to occur again and if precautions have been put in place to prevent it. The company will also review the seriousness of the injury and whether the bite was provoked or unprovoked. <./p>

According to a State Farm spokesman, his company is most interested in any dog bites or attacks. In the event a dog had a pair or more of unprovoked bites, the company would probably still employ a very, very close review of the situation, adding a single dog bite would not necessarily mean automatic cancellation of one’s policy.

Meantime, other insurance companies may cancel or refuse to renew a present home insurance policy, decline one’s application for a new one or attach an exclusion for the dog to the policy, if one’s dog has even one attack in its history. An exclusion translates into the policy not covering any liability claims due to the dog, making the individual personally responsible for any medical bills or lawsuits arising from the owner’s actions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs bite more than 4.5 million Americans yearly.

In the event your dog is one of those statistics, make sure you are properly covered ahead of time.