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You have to check two different things. Some insurance companies don't care what breed you have because they do not give you any liability coverage for dog bites.
So, you have to make sure your breed is covered and you must make sure that your liability covers dogs.
We've owned houses and had dogs for more than thirty years and have never ever been asked if we have pets...and I'm not volunteering any info either.
I wasn't going to volunteer any info myself. But, since I found out that breeders and doberman rescue group require me to fill out a questionnaire before they will even consider me and some of the questions include do you own/rent? If renting they need landlords name so they can verify it's okay to have a dog/ or in my case because I own, homeowner's insurance (which I have to carry) needs to accept dobermans. So, I don't want to lie on the questionnaire. It's not like I'm going to house an exotic/dangerous animal. Think boa constrictor.
I have Dobermans and have never had any issues with insurance. At our last home, the insurance inspector showed up un announced and was met by several Dobes protecting the home with really aggressive displays through the fence 3 feet from his car door. He never said a word about them.
You have to check two different things. Some insurance companies don't care what breed you have because they do not give you any liability coverage for dog bites.
So, you have to make sure your breed is covered and you must make sure that your liability covers dogs.
Excellent point. Insurance coverage actually changes year to year. Often notice of something being dropped is nothing but a blurb on a bill or some mention in a newsletter. It would not surprise me if many who think they have coverage for dog claims actually are without coverage.
In addition, many policies that do cover dogs state that if a claim is filed for anything aggressive, they will drop you immediately after the claim. Consumers may not be aware of this, but P&C insurance shares a common database for claims. Once you have a dog claim, every other carrier will know. People have been denied insurance coverage because they had a prior animal claim or they listed having certain breeds and the new carrier sees that and decides not to cover you. Once you are dropped or denied over pet claims, it’s harder than normal to get coverage and often at a higher premium.
Insurance companies are not obligated to care if your dog is or isn’t aggressive or if a breed is or isn’t aggressive. They have ample proof that certain breed account for the majority of claims. They have ample proof that certain breeds have an untrustworthy streak in them. Look at some of the past post on this forum where a person’s pet dog did something aggressive and many responses are "it's natural". They say it’s natural for certain aggressive nature so insurance companies use that to restrict coverage of certain breeds. Insurance companies use the history of dog claims as evidence to drop certain coverage. If the history wasn’t there, they wouldn’t risk alienating a large segment of potential customers.
when I bought my house I had 2 small dogs and needed to act fast so I whent with a big name company, once I got settled in I started calling other insurance companies (you are not under any contracts and can change your provider at ANY time...) first thing I would ask "do you have dog breed restrictions?" if the answer was "yes", my respnce was "thank you for your time but you wont be getting my business"
I had a few try to argue with me one asked "wel do you have a dangerous dog?" and to that my answer was theres no suchthing as "dangerous dogs" just stupid owners" another said "well if you don't have one of those breds NOW...whats the problem?" and my response to that question was a pretty simple "I don't give my business to any company that has discriminatory practices"
took some calling around but I found a company that doesn't discriminate based on breed (though preiums do increase for pets with bit history) and they got my business, and I dindt mind payinga few bucks a month extra to support that company either.
when I called to cancel to do the change over to the new company they asked why was was switching and I told them flat out that I don't support any company that practices discrimination and dog breed discrimination is just that.
while my 1 voice wont ake a difference if enough custoers were to switch to companies that don't practice these ridiculous policies and Tell those companies exactly why they are loosing your business...eventually the message will be spread.
Money speaks and if you tell them your taking your oney to a competitor based on ridiculous policies banning certain breeds, eventually they'll get the message IF enough people do it.
as a side note, a reacent study on dog bits proved that doxies are the breed MOST prone to agressivly biting...
instead of judging based on a dogs BREED they should instead be looking at the kind of owner they are dealing with...if you've got a customer with a 10lb errier whos known forkilling neighborhood cats, attacing children down the street and the owners are constantly letting it run loose or don't have a fence...
and a 60lb Doberman whos got her canine good citizen, Is a registered therapy dog and the owners have a securely fenced yard...WHICH Is truly the liability to them?
insurance policies have nothing to do with dogs...and everything to do with stupid people doing stupid things.
instead of judging based on a dogs BREED they should instead be looking at the kind of owner they are dealing with...if you've got a customer with a 10lb errier whos known forkilling neighborhood cats, attacing children down the street and the owners are constantly letting it run loose or don't have a fence...
and a 60lb Doberman whos got her canine good citizen, Is a registered therapy dog and the owners have a securely fenced yard...WHICH Is truly the liability to them?
insurance policies have nothing to do with dogs...and everything to do with stupid people doing stupid things.
This is very true. If my insurance inspector came to my home and found 3 Dobermans securely fenced inside the yard, with a 2nd larger perimeter fence on the outer property line, and my security system installed in the home, what does that say about me as a responsible pet owner. Will my house be at risk for being robbed? Will I be filing claims for property damage and burglaries?
What if he goes down the road to the neighbor that has 3 Labs running loose with no fence, chasing cars and going after people walking down the road? Labs are not on any dangerous list as far as I know...
You have to check two different things. Some insurance companies don't care what breed you have because they do not give you any liability coverage for dog bites.
So, you have to make sure your breed is covered and you must make sure that your liability covers dogs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZSP
We've owned houses and had dogs for more than thirty years and have never ever been asked if we have pets...and I'm not volunteering any info either.
All this got me to thinking so I brought out our homeowners and auto policies (same company) and our liability umbrella policy. I read and read and read...whew! We're alright with our Lab mix, three Boston Terriers and one French Bulldog.
I wasn't really worried but I feel a whole lot better now that I know we're covered...my dogs are even covered on our auto policy if they're injured in an accident.
I have Dobermans and have never had any issues with insurance. At our last home, the insurance inspector showed up un announced and was met by several Dobes protecting the home with really aggressive displays through the fence 3 feet from his car door. He never said a word about them.
Unfortunately, Bmachina, this could just as easily go the opposite way. Many years ago a fellow kennel club member's Doberman 'answered' her front door (a glass door) barking loudly when the insurance adjustor came by regarding a claim for roof damage. She was totally surprised when she got a cancellation notice not a week later for 'vicious dog on premises.'
Unfortunately, Bmachina, this could just as easily go the opposite way. Many years ago a fellow kennel club member's Doberman 'answered' her front door (a glass door) barking loudly when the insurance adjustor came by regarding a claim for roof damage. She was totally surprised when she got a cancellation notice not a week later for 'vicious dog on premises.'
That is nuts, did this really happen, for real?
I have three dogs and the only one that will really bark quite ferociously is my little JRT mix. Who is probably the best trained of the three, a registered therapy dog who visits schools and nursing homes and hospitals and has agility and obedience titles. She is absolutely rock-solid as far as temperament but alarm-barks like a mofo.
My 120 lb Rottweiler rarely barks, he is a wait and see guy. I hope never to test my theory but I think he will do one of two things: lick an intruder to death, or bite them. My 80 lb black Lab never barks. He is the friendliest dog on the planet. But he is large and black so some people are scared of him. My ferociously-barking little cute dog would totally run away and hide if a stranger were to enter the house.
But I tell you this: I have lived in sketchy neighborhoods for decades, with dogs, and I have never been broken into or harmed. I know for a fact my dogs have thwarted robbery attempts.
Yes, it REALLY did happen... in North Carolina, to a fellow kennel club member. She only had ONE dog. This was back when insurance companies were starting to designate / discriminate against certain breeds on home ownership policies.
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My 80 lb black Lab never barks. He is the friendliest dog on the planet. But he is large and black so some people are scared of him. My ferociously-barking little cute dog would totally run away and hide if a stranger were to enter the house.
