The Impact of Dogs on Homeowners Insurance

If you’re a dog person, you know there’s nothing quite like coming home to one. Our furry friends greet us with loyal excitement whether we’re gone for five minutes or five days. They are dependably wonderful.

There are a variety of factors that determine the cost of your homeowners insurance, and owning a dog is one of them. Unfortunately, some breeds of dogs can be excluded when it comes to homeowners insurance and may prevent the owner from being able to secure coverage with certain carriers.

How a dog’s breed can impact your home insurance is an important reality to keep in mind when adding a dog to the family.

If I get a dog, should I tell my insurance company?

Yes, you should and please check with us to see if your coverage is affected by any dog that you may presently own. Dog incidents may be covered under your homeowners policy, but we need to know what breed your dog is. Some breeds of dogs are believed to be aggressive, or your dog may have a history of biting. Every insurance company will have different rules for insuring homes with dogs classified as aggressive or that have a bite history.

What can I do to make sure that I am covered?

Review your policy and check to see if there are any exclusions or endorsements that list your breed of dog. It’s also a good idea to set your personal liability limit at a high amount, or purchase an umbrella policy, to give yourself extra coverage.

Is breed the only factor when it comes to insurance?

No, it’s not. Guard dogs and dogs with a history of biting or being vicious can also affect your homeowners/renters insurance coverage. If you have any questions about your coverage, please contact us.

The staff of MAA is full of dog lovers. We’re here to help you get the right coverage for everyone in your home, four legs included!

Meet the MAA dogs:

Teddy and Tizzy, Goldendoodle and Terrier/Dalmatian, are proud owners of Joe, Customer Service Agent. Ted has a hankering for chewing on used diapers, while Tiz gets everyone in a tizzy with her happy zoomies. Both are snuggle monsters.

Snickers and Milo, both different mixes of Yorkie, are the bosses of our own General Manager, Kim. Milo loves to go for walks, but once he’s done, he’s done! Whether it’s ten minutes or several miles, once he’s laid down, you’re carrying him the rest of the way home.

Dotty is a Blue Heeler/Black Lab mix, just under a year old. She lives with Colleen, Customer Service Agent and Office Assistant, where she enjoys deep snores, tearing up the yard, and lots of scritches.

Hank—aka Hankers—is a one-year-old Goldendoodle who loves sleeping on his back at the home he shares with Lauren, Customer Service Agent. Hank loves the Kansas snow. He’ll run circles for hours, prance about, and tunnel like a mole. He is a certified perfect boy (who can’t yet be trusted out and about at home alone).

Bandit, Rylee, and Maxon are all part of Sheila’s pack, our MAA Business Coordinator. Bandit, a Blue Heeler, spends his days outdoors and his nights snuggled up on three giant pillows. A cow dog by nature, Bandit once lost four teeth when he held on too tightly to a cow while “helping”. Rylee, a Shih-Poo, is reluctant to give up the bed and snores loud enough to keep the house awake! Maxon, a Toy Aussie, once got stuck on a road trip, head-first, between the folded-down seat and the console. He is sassy and sweet, all at once.

Lexie, a German Shorthair Pointer, is dog-daughter to Kristy, our Operations Coordinator. Lex was once on the receiving end of an unhappy skunk but is otherwise the sweetest girl who sits with her paw in the air anytime there’s food, hoping a shake will earn her a bite.

Max is a black Lab who belongs to Heather, Customer Service Agent. You can often find Max snoozing like a cinnamon roll or waiting patiently for a scrap of human food.

Adding a dog to the family? Ask us your questions!

maa@maabrethren.com | Phone: 800-255-1243 | Text: 785-576-9464