Your Choice of Dog or Pet Can Impact Insurance Rates

The average American is used to the idea that a landlord might place restrictions on the types of pets allowed to live in the building. Most people who purchase their own home, however, believe that their choice of pet is nobody else’s business. That, however, may not be the case. Homeowners insurance companies sometimes have strong ideas about appropriate pet choices.

Why Insurance Companies Care About Your Choice of Pet

Insurance companies have an excellent reason to be picky about which breeds of dog live in the homes they insure: liability. A standard homeowners insurance policy protects the homeowner from lawsuits arising from injuries that occur in the home. Anything that makes injuries more likely is bound to raise a red flag with insurance companies. Unfortunately, some breeds of dog are known to be more aggressive than others.

Real estate experts recommend that homeowners who want to purchase a dog first talk to their insurance companies about which breeds are considered dangerous.

According to Janet Scott-Buckley, who works with Harrington Insurance Agency in Massachusetts “A quick check could save you a lot of headaches later.”

Insurance companies routinely route dog breeds into one of three categories: most dangerous, possibly dangerous, and not dangerous.

The Most Dangerous Dogs

Most insurance companies consider pit bulls, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds to be significantly dangerous dogs. Not only are some members of these breeds highly aggressive, many dogs in these breeds are also large and strong enough to cause serious injuries – or even death – when they do decide to become aggressive. The average private insurance company does not want to cover a homeowner at all if he or she owns a dog that falls into the “most dangerous” category. Home insurance is still available from special high-risk pools, but purchasing through such a pool can add hugely to the annual cost of insurance.

The Possibly Dangerous Dogs

Breeds in this category are considered borderline. While they are certainly capable of causing harm to people, they are generally friendly. Such breeds include the Great Dane and the Siberian Husky. Some insurers may shy away from these dogs, but others will not. In some cases, being able to prove that your dog has been formally trained will help you to secure insurance.

The Not Dangerous Dogs

Fortunately for dog-lovers, most canines are a member of this category. Dogs can be large or small and still be rated not dangerous by insurance companies as long as they do not adhere to a particular breed that has been known to cause problems for people in the past. However, if your dog does end up being involved in a biting incident, even if the dog is a member of a “friendly” breed, your insurance company may not wish to continue insuring you.

The best practice, according to real estate experts, is to conduct thorough research ahead of time on the type of dog you want – and avoid those that are considered dangerous to humans.