Retrieving Homeowners Insurance Is Tricky For Dog Owners

If you are a dog owner, then you know how important it is for your canine to be part of your family, and for them to play a positive role in your homeowners insurance policy. Unfortunately, not all homeowners insurance companies feel the same way. In fact, many of them have place higher premiums on dog owners for owning specific breeds, according to Bankrate.com. In some instances, some insurers have even disqualified people from receiving homeowners insurance, just because their canine was deemed dangerous. To get five quotes on a new homeowners insurance policy to cover you and your pets, use our simple online quote service.

The debate over “breed discrimination” by homeowners insurance still rages on, and until it is settled, you must be aware of what breeds are considered dangerous to homeowners insurance companies for liability reasons. And most importantly, it will help you estimate the price of your insurance quotes, based on your canine’s overall reputation.

But before you search to see if your dog is recognized as a “bad canine,” here are the factors that determine if your dog is dangerous or not:

The homeowners insurance company itself

Homeowners insurance companies have different policies regarding canines and home insurance policies. Some will insure you for a higher premium, while others will refuse to do business with you. Either or, it is always best to shop around for homeowners insurance quotes, so if an insurer gives you a bad premium, you can move on to the next one and get the coverage you need.

Size

Homeowners insurance companies pay specific attention to the size of your dog when determining your homeowners insurance policy. In most cases, you can find your policy affordable, if your dog is small to medium-sized. Large dogs tend to make your premium higher or disqualify you from an insurance policy, since they are more likely to inflict damage on people and other dogs.

Their bite frequency

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs annually, and one in five dog bites results in injuries that require medical attention. You may say that your dog doesn’t bite at all, but that won’t make homeowners insurance companies exclude your pooch, if its breed has a bad bite history. Therefore, you should ask a homeowners insurance agent about the bite history of your dog’s breed, and see if he or she can come up with a policy that both you and the homeowners insurance company are satisfied with.

Their reputation

Dog bites by breed are constantly being tallied and reported by the appropriate authorities and are researched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, the news and media enhances or taints the reputation of dog breeds. Homeowners insurance companies grab hold of all of these resources and determine whether your canine is a high risk.

Canines Affecting Homeowners Insurance Policies

Now that you know the factors that determine if your dog will negatively affect your homeowners insurance policy – or disqualify you from receiving one – here is a list of the most common dog breeds that are seen as high-risk to many homeowners insurance companies, according to Bankrate.com:

• Akita
• Alaskan Malamute
• Chow Chow
• Doberman Pinscher
• German Shepard
• Pit Bull
• Presa Canario
• Rottweiler
• Siberian Husky
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Wolf hybrid.

Getting Homeowners Insurance With A Dangerous Dog

If you are the owner of anyone of these dog breeds, you may find that searching for insurance quotes for your home to be a difficult process. However, it doesn’t mean that you will be able to find a good homeowners insurance policy. Here is some advice to get affordable homeowners insurance, even with a dangerous canine breed:

• Shop around online for homeowners insurance quotes in your area
• Comparison shop from several different insurance agencies
• Ask for discounts
• Raise your deductible
• Continue to check your homeowners insurance policy for any gaps in coverage on a yearly basis.
• Make your search easier by compare up to five quotes online to find the lowest rate