Is your dog’s breed to aggressive to be covered by your homeowners’ insurance?

Dog Liability InsuranceFor many years, dog owners and insurance companies have been battling it out over claims because some insurers maintain a restricted list of breeds that will not be covered by homeowners’ insurance due to a perception of their tendencies toward aggression.

Since it is technically possible for a dog of any breed to bite hard enough to lead to an injury, legislation in many states includes a specific definition of what constitutes a dangerous dog, and regulations for maintaining that animal. This has made it possible for a dog to be considered dangerous regardless of its breed. It is the action of the dog that makes it a dangerous animal, which takes away from the tendency to judge it based on its breed.

Allstate, State Farm, and some other large insurers across the country are following the lead of the states standard definitions and don’t require homeowners to identify the breed of their dog in order to obtain coverage. Instead, they need only know about any past incidences of aggression of the individual dog.

At the same time, though, some insurers keep a list of dogs that they refuse to insure. The insurers who still maintain a list of breeds that they won’t cover will usually include in their restrictions the breeds that were identified by the CDC as being involved in the largest number of fatal human attacks. These breeds include:

• Pitbulls
• Rottweilers
• German Shepherds
• Husky-type breeds
• Alaskan Malamutes
• Doberman Pinschers
• Chow Chows

For more information and rates on homeowners insurance

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