Home insurance for dog owners

Depending on what breed of dog you own, where you live and your insurance company, it could be difficult to buy home insurance that includes liability for your dog.

Roughly 39 percent of American households have at least one dog, according to The Humane Society of the United States. But as the costs of dog-bite litigation spiral, some insurance companies are refusing to write coverage for owners of certain breeds. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), dog-bite claims cost insurers about $356.2 million in 2007, up by 10.5 percent from the previous year.

While there might not be an industry-wide "blacklist" of breeds, it's best to check with your agent before you buy certain dog breeds. According to the Lester Kalmanson Agency Inc. — which sells liability insurance to owners of dogs commonly identified as "dangerous breeds" — the list could include:

• Pit bulls
  
• Rottweilers
• Chow chows
  
• German shepherds
  
• Siberian huskies
  
• Alaskan malamutes
  
• Doberman pinschers
  
• Presa Canario bulldogs
  
• Great Danes
  
• Boxers
• Akitas
• Wolf-hybrids
  

Some home insurers have lists of breeds and crossbreeds they will not insure; other insurers consider such breeds on a case-by-case basis, or charge more for certain "biting" breeds such as pit bulls. Some home insurers require dog owners to sign liability waivers for dog bites.

In Michigan and Pennsylvania, it's illegal for home insurance companies to deny coverage simply because a home has a dog of a particular breed, according to III. Other states have similar laws pending.

Some insurance companies will sell you coverage regardless of what type of breed you own. Jeff McCollum, spokesperson for State Farm, says that there are good and bad dogs within each breed, just like there are responsible and irresponsible dog owners.

"State Farm does not discriminate against certain breeds," McCollum says.

Ohio is the exception. The state recently adopted a statute that labels a pit bull as a "vicious dog." Therefore, State Farm does not offer coverage under its home insurance policies for pit bulls in Ohio.

State Farm does require policyholders to answer questions about dogs on their home insurance applications. Specifically, the company wants to know if a dog has ever bitten anyone or if it has been trained for attack purposes.

If the dog has bitten someone, State Farm will want to know the circumstances surrounding the bite to determine if it is likely to happen again and if precautions have been taken to prevent it. Other factors the company looks at are the seriousness of the injury and whether the attack was provoked or unprovoked.

State Farm has paid out roughly $80 million annually, from 2002 to 2008, for dog bite-related claims, McCollum says. While the overall number of bites appears to be decreasing, the rise of medical costs per incident offsets the decrease, he adds.

Considering history

Some companies will ask "Do you own a vicious dog?" on home insurance applications. Previous dog-bite incidents will show up on your claims history, which insurers check before issuing a policy. Some insurers will consider whether an attack was provoked or unprovoked, but it depends on the dog's history.

"We are most concerned about any dog bites or attacks," McCollum says. "If a dog had two or three unprovoked bites, we would probably still take a very, very close look at the situation . . . [but] one dog bite wouldn't necessarily mean automatic cancellation of your policy."

But other insurers may cancel or refuse to renew an existing home insurance policy, decline your application for a new one or attach an exclusion for the dog to the policy — if your dog has even one attack in its history. The exclusion means the insurance policy would not cover any liability claims caused by the dog, making you personally responsible for any medical bills or lawsuits stemming from your dog's actions.

Prevention is the best medicine

About 50 percent of dog bites occur on the dog owner's property. The best way to make sure your home insurance won't get cancelled is by preventing an attack. Spaying and neutering a dog can improve its disposition, especially with male dogs.

Don't put your dog in situations where it will be threatened or teased. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites each year. Almost half of them are children who might not be aware that their behavior is threatening to dogs.

If there's a bite

If your dog bites someone, respond right away. Restrain or confine your dog immediately. Then do whatever you can to help the victim, whether that means calling 911 or driving them to the emergency room.

Once the victim is taken care of, you might have to contact the local authorities to report the dog bite. You should then call your home insurance company, especially if there are medical costs involved. Be sure to cooperate with your insurance company. The claims adjuster will no doubt want to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Take steps to make sure a similar incident doesn't happen. That might mean building a fence around your yard or sending your dog to obedience school. When all else fails, a certified animal trainer might help.