If you own a dog, chances are you understand that there can be surprising costs associated with animals. Unfortunately, sometimes those costs can be associated less than savory conditions, such as bite claims. Approximately 4.5 million people suffer from dog bites each year, requiring medical attention. Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies cover dog bites and other incidents your furry friend may cause.

In order for your dog to be covered by your home insurance, you’ll need to add your dog to your policy. If you haven’t made your company aware of your furry friend, they may deny you coverage if you file a claim. Homeowners (and renters insurance) policies typically cover dog bite liability expenses up to a certain price, the limit is usually between $100,000 to $300,000. This includes medical costs.

Pet owners should take responsibility for their animals. Any owner wants to keep their pet safe, and getting them the coverage they need is an excellent decision. If you need help looking at policies, try our online, free tool.

Is it really necessary to add my dog to my homeowners insurance?

Adding a dog to your home insurance may result in an increased premium. Most people ask, “do I really have to add my dog? He or she doesn’t bite.” The answer is yes. Even the best-trained pets can be unpredictable, and you’ll want to make sure you're covered if there is ever an incident or injury caused by your dog.

Most incidents are 'first timer bites' which means the dog didn’t have a previous bite history. The problem with this is many an owner fall into the camp of never believing their dog would ever bite someone, but if you wait until after the first bite to add them to your policy, it’s too late. The legal expenses could end up far outweighing the cost of adding your dog to your policy.

If you don't add your dog to your homeowners insurance, you could be left paying for the injured parties’ medical bills and potentially a lawsuit — all out of pocket. You should ensure your are protected by adding your dog to your homeowners insurance to avoid such conditions.

When will homeowners insurance cover your dog?

After adding your dog and paying the additional fee to your homeowners insurance, here’s what is generally protected:

• Personal liability: If someone files a lawsuit against you for a dog bite, you can file a claim under the personal liability part of your policy. It covers almost all expenses, including the price if they win the suit, up to the policy’s limit.
• Medical bills: If your dog bites someone and injures them, this helps cover the price of medical expenses that were incurred. Typically the maximum price for medical bills is $10,000.

When will homeowners insurance not cover your dog?

Homeowners policies are particular about what is protected against your dog. If your dog causes damage to the structure of your home, like chewing through the drywall or damaging your fence, your insurer most likely won’t reimburse you for the loss.

You also won’t be covered if your dog damages or destroys any of your personal property. If your furry friend chews a hole in your couch or destroys a brand new pair of shoes, your home insurance won’t cover it. It's usually only bodily injury to another person that is covered, and any subsequent medical payments necessary.

Does breed matter?

Yes, the breed of your dog does often matters to your homeowners insurance company. Statistically, certain dog breeds are responsible for a higher number of dog bites and some insurance companies go by the statistics to determine the risk to insure. This is how breed restrictions are created.

Some homeowners insurance companies have a blacklist of dog breeds that won't be covered by a homeowners insurance policy from the company. The most commonly discriminated dogs are within the Molossers breed group, which are, thick, muscular dogs that include pit bulls, Rottweilers and mastiffs. They usually tend to be on the larger size, and are generally restricted dog breeds, meaning they see a lot of discrimination due to the history associated with such breeds.

What can I do if my homeowners insurance doesn’t cover my dog's breed?

If you have a dog of a breed that's excluded from your homeowners insurance coverage because the company has blacklisted it, you’ll have to find a new homeowners insurance company that doesn’t list your dog as a dangerous breed.

Some insurance companies may offer coverage to your dog’s breed if it has gone through a certain level of pet training. Others may evaluate the dog to determine coverage. There are companies that don't discriminate by the typical restricted breed types. A good place to start is this blog on a list of pit bull friendly home insurance companies.

How to Prevent Your Dog from Biting

Almost all dog owners are certain that their dog will not bite someone. While no one can prevent accidents or unintended injuries, there are many precautions that dog owners can take to prevent it from occurring. Here are a few tips to prevent your dog from harming someone else:

• Educate: Take the time to inform yourself of your dog’s breed.
• Training: Socialize your dog, and be aware of and understand your dog’s body language.
• Daily exercise: It’s important your dog stays healthy, both physically and mentally. You should exercise them daily.
• Distance: You never know what may provoke your dog; it’s safe to keep your dog on a leash to create a certain distance when around strangers or other dogs.
• Neuter: Neutering your pet can lead to a less aggressive dog.

If you are moving with your pet, make sure to slowly introduce them to the new home. It's best to minimize the stressful situations your pet can face when moving.

When shopping for a homeowners insurance company, be sure to get quotes from multiple companies to compare your options. You can see the best and cheapest homeowners insurance companies in your zip code by visiting Clearsurance's homeowners insurance rankings page.

The content on this site is offered only as a public service to the web community and does not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. This site should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an insurance company or an attorney licensed or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. You should always consult a suitably qualified attorney regarding any specific legal problem or matter. The comments and opinions expressed on this site are of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the insurance company or any individual attorney.