Dangerous Dog Breeds

According to most insurance companies, the following are the more common “Dangerous Breeds” or “Blacklisted Breeds”:

Pit Bulls & Staffordshire Terriers
Doberman Pinschers
Rottweilers
Chows
Great Danes
Presa Canarios
Akitas
Alaskan Malamutes
German Shepherds
Siberian Huskies
Wolf-hybrids
Or a mix of any of the above

Does Your Current Insurance Policy Cover Your Dog?

If you’ve been insured with the same insurance company for years, don’t assume your policy includes coverage for your dog(s). Insurance companies regularly modify what their policy will cover (and what it won’t cover). Your company may not know you have a “dangerous” dog. If they find out, your policy may immediately cancel or be non-renewed.

Dog Liability Policy Claim Example

Keep in mind, not all dog claims are due to dog aggression or dog bites. Let’s say you have a SUPER FRIENDLY Pit Bull with a very wiggly butt and they greet your neighbor with a jump. Your neighbor falls and hits their head on a curb; this is a potential dog claim. This exact scenario happened to one of our clients; the injured person had around $40,000 in medical expenses.

Would you be able to pay $40,000 out of pocket just because your dog jumped on someone to say “hello?”

What to do if you have restricted dog breed

If you have a restricted breed, or any dog who has bitten someone, your home insurer might drop you or suggest you get rid of the dog.

1. Try to get an exception. If you have a restricted breed of dog, you may be able to get an exception to an insurer's prohibited list if:

The dog has a Canine Good Citizen certificate from the American Kennel Club.
The dog is trained as a service dog (such as a guide dog).

2. Look for a new home insurance company. If you can't get an exception, you could shop around for a new home insurer that will sell you insurance with the dog. You may have an exceptionally hard time if the dog has already bitten someone or you have a pit bull or Rottweiler, which are typically considered aggressive and are on lists of prohibited dog breeds for homeowners insurance.

3. Have the dog excluded from coverage. If you have a prohibited breed and want to stay with your insurer, ask if you can get the dog excluded from coverage. This means you will not have insurance for liability or medical payments claims against you if the dog bites or attacks someone. If your current home insurer won't sell you a policy that excludes dog liability, ask an independent insurance agent if there are any companies that will.

If the dog is excluded from coverage, someone can sue you for an injury from your dog and you'll have to pay for your own legal defense and any judgment against you. That could wreck your finances: The average dog liability claim was $33,230 in 2016, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

4. Get insurance for the dog another way. If your dog is excluded from home insurance coverage, here are ways to cover dog liability:

Buy an umbrella liability policy from your home insurer. Some umbrella policies will cover liability for dog bites. But before you buy one for this purpose, confirm the umbrella policy covers dog bites.
Buy a standalone "canine liability policy." This type of insurance specifically covers the dog if your home insurance company won't. For example, Kingstone Insurance offers canine liability insurance. Canine liability insurance policies are typically offered by "excess and surplus" lines insurers. This means the insurers are not licensed by a state and not subject to state insurance department rules. However, many types of specialty policies are sold by excess and surplus lines insurers. Ask an independent insurance agent what your options are for canine liability policies.