Forumites and their Dogs

[DanO]

Do you remember what company that was Deb?

GO LIONS "11" !

[Tony G]

not me. I have AAA

[Panoptes]

Dogs on insurance blacklist
By Heather Larson

Thinking about getting a dog?
Some breeds can cancel an insurance deal.
Most insurance carriers don't have issues covering responsible pet owners.

During a pre-screening interview for homeowners insurance, Michael Richbourg of Atlanta was asked if he owned any dogs. He said he had two mixed breeds. He wasn't sure what kind, but one appeared to be mostly schipperke (pronounced, skipper-kee).

Hearing the breed, the agent quietly replied that he was unable to process Richbourg's application further.

The American Kennel Club describes a schipperke as an agile, active watchdog, curious and reserved with strangers. But Yourpurebredpuppy.com, a dog-breed information Web site, says they can become bored and express themselves by barking and destructive chewing.

Whichever description is correct, Richbourg appeared to be rejected because the insurer had blacklisted the small schipperke as a liability.

Where are insurance companies getting their lists of what they perceive to be "aggressive" dogs? Without knowing, it's difficult for home- and dog owners to discern which breeds are acceptable and which aren't.

As it turns out, there's no standard list insurance companies follow, but dogs can factor in when an insurer is reviewing your new customer application. And it's not just the breeds typically thought of as aggressive, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers, chow chows, Doberman pinschers and German shepherds.

"Insurance companies go by the average number of bites reported by a certain breed," says Ashley Hunter, owner and president of HM Risk Group, an insurance and risk management brokerage in Austin, Texas.

The Humane Society of the United States reports that the bite list changes from year to year and from one area of the country to another, depending on the popularity of the breed. Just a few years ago, the Doberman was the breed to fear. Now, pit bulls and Rottweilers rule.

"In Lewis and Clark's day, it was the Newfoundland because that was the popular breed," says Ledy Van Kavage, senior legislative analyst for Best Friends Animal Society, a pet sanctuary and adoption network in Kanab, Utah. "Dogs, like people, are individuals and should be judged that way."

PEMCO Insurance, based in Seattle, underwrites each risk individually. Breed is only one factor. It also considers socialization and gender, whether the dog has been spayed or neutered, how the dog is confined and the owner's claims history.

The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior says that dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell terriers are the most likely to bite. Another study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society puts Labradors and golden retrievers in the high-risk category.

"The real problem is that there is so much conflicting information (about aggressive breeds), that you don't know what to believe," says Donna Popow, senior director of knowledge resources for the Insurance Institute of America, a nonprofit offering insurance education in Malvern, Pa. "Any dog will bite, given the right set of circumstances."

But that doesn't mean homeowners with dogs should be denied insurance. "This is a knee-jerk reaction caused by public hysteria," Van Kavage says.

The Insurance Information Institute, an industry association in New York, recently released statistics showing that dog-bite claims nationwide grew 10.5 percent from 2006 to 2007, the latest data available. In 2007, dog-bite claims paid by insurance averaged $24,511 each. In addition, dog bites currently account for one-third of all homeowner's claims.

Thinking about getting a dog?
Popow recommends you consider the holistic risks of bringing a dog into your home. It's much like being the parent of a teenager who is now able to drive. You need to explore ways to manage the risk of your teen's exposure to driving. You will give the teenager instructions, ride along with them for a while and ensure they get lots of driving practice.
"That same process applies to bringing a new dog into the home," says Popow. "You need to prepare ahead of time."

Research the best type of dog for your family and home environment by talking to breeders, veterinarians and dog trainers, Popow says. If you're interested in rescuing a dog, get that same kind of information from a breed rescue organization or your local humane society. Some dogs aren't good with small children, some aren't good with cats and some don't do well with other dogs.

Document your research for insurance purposes. Your insurance company may or may not use your documentation when underwriting you. But even if they don't, you'll know you've done everything you could to choose the best dog for your family and your insurance company.

Find out how much exercise the dog will need and decide if you can supply it. Determine how much training you're willing to provide. The American Kennel Club offers a training course called Canine Good Citizenship, or CGC. If your dog completes the course and passes the CGC test, some insurance companies such as Nationwide Insurance will insure your home even if your dog is one of the breeds or a breed mix that previously prohibited owners from qualifying for insurance, according to the National Animal Interest Alliance in Portland, Ore.

And think about having your dog spayed or neutered. According to the National Canine Research Council, 97 percent of the dogs involved in fatal attacks in 2006 had not been spayed or neutered.

To tell or not to tell
If you own one of the dogs that might be deemed aggressiveby your homeowners insurance company, should you let them know? Hunter says, "Yes."
"Insurance companies have misrepresentation in their coverage, and if you don't reveal that you have one of the 'questionable' dogs and you file a claim, they may not pay anything," Hunter says.

Before telling your insurance company that you have what they may consider an aggressive dog, Van Kavage, of the Best Friends Animal Society, suggests you have some coverage lined up with another insurance company. Insurance companies differ on breeds they deem aggressive and some go by which breeds in your state have bitten the most.

Van Kavage also cautions that when you own a mixed-breed dog, don't offer your insurance company a guess on what the predominant breed in the mix is. "It's impossible to guess correctly what the breed is unless you have a DNA test done," Van Kavage says.

You can usually find an insurance company that doesn't discriminate by dog breed and will insure you, risk broker Hunter says. But if you can't, Hunter recommends an umbrella policy that extends your insurance policy beyond your traditional coverage and includes your dog. She estimates an umbrella policy will cost between $250 and $300 per year.

"Certain insurance carriers like State Farm and Farmers don't discriminate," says Van Kavage. "So shop around, but don't get rid of the animal."

The insurance carriers that do discriminate by breed are the smaller companies that are nervous about the liability and the bad press that cames from a dog-bite case, Hunter says. "Think outside the box when it comes to insurance carriers. Look for an independent agent that is more dog-friendly and doesn't tend to discriminate."

For the most part, the large insurance carriers don't have issues covering responsible pet owners, but the controversy rages on between the smaller companies and dog lovers. Until it is resolved, Richbourg is training his schipperke to catch a Frisbee so he can pass him off as a border collie.



Read more: Homeowners insurance bites dogs that bite http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insu...#ixzz1ZHfu5Avg

I've never been asked if I owned a dog when looking for homeowners insurance.

GO LIONS "11" !

Dog ownership questions are standard on a CA State Farm app..

Certain dogs, i.e., Pits, Rotts and Dobermans are auto decline.

[Panoptes]

To find out if you have an alpha type dog as a pup, pick up the pup, hold it on its back in your arms like you are cradeling a baby and look at it. The dog should not look you in your eyes if it is not an Alpha type dog.

[LionsNC]

I have never been asked either. I guess I can understand the aggressive breeds from a liability standpoint, but then I really never considered your home owner insurance covering that. As far as your dog chewing your house so bad that you feel you need to file a insurance claim, is just mind boggling to me.

[-Deborah-]

Do you remember what company that was Deb?

GO LIONS "11" !

Seems like it was the brief time I was with State Farm.

[Panoptes]

I have never been asked either. I guess I can understand the aggressive breeds from a liability standpoint, but then I really never considered your home owner insurance covering that. As far as your dog chewing your house so bad that you feel you need to file a insurance claim, is just mind boggling to me.

Outside of catastophes, pet bites are the costliest to ins. co's. You are far more likely to use the liability portion of your ins. than any other coverage.

[The Cat]

Okay forumites, I have a sneaky suspicion that after watching this video you will want to adopt and add these mutts to your canine family. This is cute!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=pkPNa4DBFHI

[Tony G]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yBa-2tISxo"]Smooth Fox Terrier vs. Ducks - YouTube[/ame]

[Tony G]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY"]Foxes Jumping on my Trampoline - YouTube[/ame]

[CGVT]

From the best of Craig's List...

You aren't looking for them, but I found your two dogs.

Date: 2010-02-18, 4:42PM EST



Sigh. No one is looking for these guys. And I see why. They hump everything in sight, try to dominate our old doggies, try to eat our cats and pee on everything and bark at everything. Neurotic, lick constantly. They know no commands, either in English or Spanish. They are aggressive and probably lived in a puppy mill. You dumped them, probably, and we picked them up before they were killed by traffic. Unneutered, no tags, under 1 year old small males. I hate you, person who dumped these dogs. There are no lost ads on phone poles, no lost ad on Craig's list, no lost ad in the paper. We put signs up all over, put a found notice in at the local pounds and if you were looking for these filthy little ragamuffins, you would have found them. We are afraid to take them to the pound because under stress, your dogs were snappy and horribly afraid and dogs are judged by temperament for adoption placement. They would not have passed that test. However.....

They are, under their filth, mats and horrible habits, adorable. They have learned "Quiet," "Come," "Sit." They have stopped being so neurotic and we have broken most of their bad habits in just a few days. They are smart and sweet and are looking for guidance and WANT to be good little dogs. One is a purebred little white and buff guy with an under bite, the other is a brown little dog that looks almost exactly like a miniature version of a larger breed dog. They know each other and were obviously (by the same bad habits) raised (poorly) together. We will get them neutered, train them and get them into a good, loving home with people who use the brains God gave them.

If these are your dogs, come on by, I'd like to kick your ass.

[LightninBoy]

Foxes Jumping on my Trampoline - YouTube

That's cute and all. But, based on the title, I was hoping for something different.

[RUFiO1984]

My little Lions fan Sam 5 months old.

[Tony G]

That's cute and all. But, based on the title, I was hoping for something different.

I could see where you would be disappointed Lightning Boy. Here's a video you were probably expecting

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CRkNKB2Gsw[/ame]

[LightninBoy]

That's more like it.