How Your Dog's Breed Affects Homeowners Insurance

If you own a dog, your homeowners or renters insurance is probably affected — and you might not even know it. Dog-related liability claims cost insurers over $1 billion annually.

Why Insurers Care About Your Dog

Dog bites are the single largest source of liability claims on homeowners insurance. The average dog bite claim costs around $64,000. When insurers see a breed that's statistically more likely to cause a severe bite injury, they adjust accordingly.

Breeds That Commonly Face Restrictions

The specific list varies by carrier, but commonly restricted breeds include Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Chow Chows, Mastiffs, Wolf hybrids, Cane Corsos, and Alaskan Malamutes.

What "Restricted" Actually Means

Depending on the insurer, having a restricted breed can result in policy exclusion (the insurer excludes dog-related liability), breed surcharge ($25-$100/year extra), policy denial, or required additional coverage.

How to Get Coverage If You Have a Restricted Breed

Shop around. Not all insurers have the same restrictions. Some evaluate dogs individually rather than by breed.

Consider a canine liability policy. These standalone policies cost $200-$500/year and specifically cover dog-related incidents.

Get your dog certified. A Canine Good Citizen certification demonstrates good behavior and some insurers will accept it.

Be honest on your application. Misrepresenting your pet's breed can lead to claim denial and policy cancellation.

Look into umbrella insurance. A personal umbrella policy provides additional liability coverage above your homeowners limits.

The Bottom Line

Owning a dog shouldn't mean going without proper insurance coverage. Truvo can help you compare homeowners insurance quotes across multiple carriers to find one that covers your whole family — four-legged members included.