10 Dog Breeds that Increase Insurance Rates

There are a variety of factors that determine the rates of homeowners insurance. For instance, insurers evaluate the location and plumbing of your property before proposing a policy. Similarly, the dog you own is also important for insurance agencies. In fact, some dog breeds can prevent you from being insured at all.

Dog Breeds that Increase Homeowners Insurance

The homeowners insurance usually covers any damage caused by you or your family members (including your dog). This means that if your canine bites someone or scratches their furniture, the insurance company will have to pay a portion of the claimed amount.

Keeping this in mind, insurance companies develop a pool of dog breeds that they don’t cover. The list of dangerous dogs can vary from one company to another. However, you will need to be extra careful during the insurance process if you own any of the following breeds.

Akita

These Japanese guard dogs have an extremely protective nature. Consequently, they can react quite aggressively if they feel any danger for their owners.

One of their ancestors (called Matagi dog) was used for hunting bears. This gives Akitas the power to cause damage when they want to. Therefore, it is NOT a good idea to adopt an Akita if you live in a townhouse.  

Boxer

Usually, boxers are not considered to be aggressive but their protective nature can make them distrustful of strangers. In these circumstances, it is important to handle the situation immediately to keep your dogs in control.

These playful canines are known for their intelligence and make excellent guard dogs. However, isolated incidents of dominance and aggression can increase the insurance rates if you own a boxer.

Chow Chow

Stubborn, territorial, and protective is the best possible way to describe this furry canine. Due to their dangerous bites, Chow Chows are regarded as one of the most lethal dogs to own as pets. They have a sharp set of teeth that can cause some serious damage to a person.

The occasional instances of aggression from these dogs make insurance companies reluctant to insure this breed. According to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, bites from Chows caused 8 causalities from 1979 to 1998.

Doberman Pinscher

This aggressive dog breed was responsible for the maximum number of dog bites in the 1970s. The news of Dobermans biting people (especially small children) became so common that insurance companies were forced to think.

Interestingly, it was one of the unpopular dog breeds before the 70s. In contrast to that, it became a massive hit as we entered the decade. Therefore, the increase in dog bites could have been due to the number of Dobermans owned. Irrespective of the underlying reason, insurers are not very comfortable with covering these canines.   

German Shepherd

Owing to their intelligence and obedience, a lot of people believe that German Shepherds are easy to train. It makes a lot of sense when you consider that they are the world’s leading police and military dogs.

Despite that, these dogs are highly represented in biting accidents around the world. For example, a couple of German Shepherds attacked an 8-year-old girl from Illinois, in 2013. As a result of these unfortunate accidents, insurance companies rank them as a dangerous breed to cover.

Great Dane

Although Great Danes are famous for their gentle character, they can cause some serious damage. They have been the tallest dog breed for many years now and have been found responsible for several deaths. Keeping this in mind, a lot of insurance companies avoid covering a family that owns a Great Dane.

In addition to overpowering children and smaller adults, Great Danes can pose some serious threats to your neighbors. Therefore, it is critical to train this large breed (against aggression) early in their lives.  

Pit Bull

If you talk about the most aggressive dog breeds, Pit Bull is probably the first name that crosses your mind. The CDC studied the fatal dog bites over a period of 20 years to determine the most lethal dog breeds. They found that Pit Bulls led the race as these dogs caused 32% of the total deaths. In 2012, 23 out of 38 fatal dog attacks were done by Pit Bulls.

In addition to these numbers, the fact that this breed was used for dog-fighting is also worrying for insurers. Similarly, the incompetency of Pit Bulls as guard dogs cements their place in the list of dangerous dogs.

Presa Canarios

This rare dog breed was originally developed in the Canary Islands. For this reason, these canines are also referred to as Canary Mastiffs.

Although they were bred for working with livestock, their Spanish name means “Canarian catch dog”. They do possess the instincts of a large, dominant dog and can cause occasional canine attacks. Consequently, they have managed to earn the reputation of being dangerous. Therefore, you can have problems with your homeowners insurance if you own a Presa Canarios.  

Rottweiler

Rottweiler is often recognized as the second most lethal dog breed (after Pit Bulls) in the world. These fearsome canines were originally developed to pull cargos and herd cattle. Although it happens rarely, they can use their impressive stature for aggressive purposes. According to an estimate, the bite of a Rottweiler can have more than 300 lbs. of pressure.

Such a dominant behavior of these dogs need an increment in insurance rates that the companies don’t like. Having said that, Rottweilers have done quite well as police dogs and herders.

Wolf Hybrid

When you mate a wolf with a dog, you get a Wolf Hybrid. Saarloos wolfdog and Kunming wolfdog are a couple of examples of this breed. The “wild animal” characteristics of these animals make it incredibly difficult to get homeowners insurance. This is because the natural instinct of wolves to kill is somewhat there in your pet.

Similarly, these hybrid dogs require plenty of space and confining them in boundaries can be extremely dangerous. Due to their unpredictable behavior, Wolf Hybrids can be really difficult pets to own.