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Thread: [B]Getting House insurance with dogs on the X list[/B]

  1. #1
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    [B]Getting House insurance with dogs on the X list[/B]

    Okay-this probably doesn't concern a lot of you cause you either don't own a breed on the list or you are too young to own a home of your own, but how many of you have had problems getting good home owners insurance? Which black-balled breeds do you own?
    I Noticed Anna66 you own 3 of those breeds-husky, chow and rottie. I own mixes on that list. Tyr is Chow,husky and wolf (3 breeds on that list) and Ginger is Shar-Pei, Rottie, and Shepherd (only 1 breed) I could lie about Ginger-but Tyr-it's too obvious. I don't know if they would actually check it or not...
    Just for those who don't know-there is a list-it varies slightly-but the majority of insurance companies will not give you insurance if you own a dog that is either a mix of or a pure-bred on that list. Allstate is one of the worst with the longest list (9 breeds last year)
    The list is basically as follows:
    Doberman
    Rottie
    Husky
    Chow
    Pitt
    Wolf-Hybrid
    Akita
    (i can't remember the name-that breed that attacked and killed that woman in California a couple years ago)

    like I said it varies slightly-some have other breeds-but these seem to be the most common
    (personally I am appauled that husky is on there!)
    Anyway-what insurance do you use and/or how do you get around it-do you outright lie?

  2. #2
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    Jun 2002
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    I have State Farm and when I told them I had Cairn Terriers,
    they asked me all kinds of detailed questions. Such as
    a description of the breed and size, were they friendly,
    likely to bite, etc. I'm not sure if that's just standard procedure
    or if "terrier" in the name sends off warning signals. I
    had no need to lie nor would I have. They took my word
    that they were friendly and wouldn't bite anybody, which
    they wouldn't, and I had no issue getting the insurance.

    My concern would be that if you lie though and say you don't
    have a certain breed and you do, then if something should
    happen, like your house burns down, will they be able to get out
    of paying, if they should discover you lied about having a certain
    breed of dog. Would that not make the contract null and void
    with them?

    Par...


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  3. #3
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    Sep 2003
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    Good Lord - I had no idea! Thanks for the heads-up as my fiance and I are just about to start looking into buying our first place. Samantha is mainly a Golden Retriever/Shepherd mix, so I don't think we'll have any problems but at least I'll be on my feet if a question about her does come up!

  4. #4
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    Wow-they were questioning the Cairn Terrier?
    Maybe they just automatically question about all dogs in the family.
    I am trying to buy my first home and I actually had 2 companies tell me they can't sell me insurance because Tyr is part Chow! (I didn't even mention wolf)
    Your concerns were mine as well, that is why I haven't been lying either. But it sure makes things difficult!
    Samantha-you shouldn't have a problem-I know Goldie isn't on there and I haven't seen any with German Shepherd either.

  5. #5
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    Originally posted by Dawn
    Samantha-you shouldn't have a problem-I know Goldie isn't on there and I haven't seen any with German Shepherd either.
    I hpoe not... if I get another dog - which we plan on doing at some point (as well as two cats) - will I need to alert them that we're getting more pets? Or do they just care at the point in time when you apply for the insurance?

    Wow - I really had no clue that you had to let them know about pets and whatnot. Is ANYTHING uncomplicated??

  6. #6
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    I would think you have to let them know, their main concern I think is if there will be a chance that the dog might bite someone and they will have to pay out in a lawsuit. They consider these breeds to be more likely to bite because of the stats on dog bites per year.

  7. #7
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    Originally posted by Dawn
    I would think you have to let them know, their main concern I think is if there will be a chance that the dog might bite someone and they will have to pay out in a lawsuit. They consider these breeds to be more likely to bite because of the stats on dog bites per year.
    What a bunch of crap. It's all due to the dog's upbringing. I want a Rottie, but my fiance and I aren't going to let it bite anyone. Telling them what kind of dog you have is just as stupid as having to tell a health insurer if your favorite food may cause bad health later on. You don't have to do THAT, so I don't see why you should have to be on a blacklist if you have a certain type of dog.

    Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

  8. #8
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    So is life...welcome to the real world. Actually with life insurance-you have to say if you smoke or have had health problems-cause these increase the chances they'll have to pay out.
    So they believe certain breeds will increase the chances they will have to pay out.
    In a way they are only protecting themselves-I am not defending them- I don't believe they should judge the whole breed for a few- but unfortunately that is the way they think.

  9. #9
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    Telling them what kind of dog you have is just as stupid as having to tell a health insurer if your favorite food may cause bad health later on. You don't have to do THAT, so I don't see why you should have to be on a blacklist if you have a certain type of dog.
    But you do, in a sense. You have to tell your health insurer if you smoke or not, because people who smoke have a higher rate of certain cancers. You likewise have to report your family medical history.

    You also have to disclose your driving record to your car insurer. There are several car insurance companies that will not insure you at all, period, if you have ever gotten a ticket at any time or if you own a radar detector, etc. People who own a car capable of going 200 miles per hour are going to pay more in insurance premiums than someone who owns a car capable of going 100 miles per hour.

    Insurance agencies base their rates and exclusions on millions of pieces of data, compiled by actuaries. They use statistical formulas, and huge amounts of data over many years. It is all very scientific. They have to have proof behind their policies. If they are going to charge someone $1,000 a year for insurance, versus charging someone else $5,000 a year for the the same coverage, you can bet they are going to have statistical proof to cover their butts when the second guys squawks.

    The data behind the "black list" of certain dog breeds exists, and its real. There are a lot of people disputing it, and I think they should. However, when pressed, the insurance companies have always been able to back their policies with facts about certain breeds and percentage of dog bites nationwide. They didn't arbitrarily pick these breeds, there is data behind it, sadly.

    I just read a big article about this in Dog Fancy, including many tips on getting an insurance company to make an exception for your "black listed" dog. (I can't remember which month it was in, but the in one of the last two or three issues.) The number one thing that swayed insurers minds was getting a Canine Good Citizen award for your dog.

    Having insurance is not a right, it is a priviledge. Just like having a driver's license or qualifying for a mortgage. Insurance is a business, just like any other, and they need to be able to do what they have to do to stay in business. I don't think it is necesarily fair that sweet dogs with good manners are refused coverage. I also don't think it is fair that I pay a premium for car insurance because I have a Camaro ... a car on the "problem for teenage boys" blacklist. But that's the way it is. What we, as dog owners, can do is to make sure our dogs are well-trained, well-mannered, certified as good citizens or therapy dogs, and politely and professionally question this policy.
    "We give dogs the time we can spare, the space we can spare and the love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made" - M. Facklam

    "We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers - thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams."- P.S. Beagle

    "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien

  10. #10
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    I'm pretty familiar with the real world, thanks... this dog thing just surprised me a little. Guess it shouldn't have, this being the Age of the Lawsuit. Oh well. We'll deal.

  11. #11
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    I have heard of the Good citizen certificate-but never see anything about it around here.
    Anyone have more info on that, where to apply and what the test consists of?

  12. #12
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    "We give dogs the time we can spare, the space we can spare and the love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made" - M. Facklam

    "We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers - thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams."- P.S. Beagle

    "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien

  13. #13
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    In a recent issue of Dog Fancy, the were saying the list of breeds some insurnace carriers will not cover is growing. Others that are on some lists not mentioned by Dawn include, Airedale Terriers, GSDs, and Dalmations, and mixes with any of these breeds.

    I think the article is in my desk at work, so there may be others I am forgetting.

    We have Nationwide Insurance and have not had any problems. so far. We also have CGC/TDI titles on all our dogs, so IF it becomes a problem, we may have a case to argue, even with two Dal mixes.

    I really wish dogs would be judged on their own personal past, instead of the bad owners who give certain breeds a bad name.

  14. #14
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    I wonder with one of the protection breeds how far a CGC
    title would go with them, because it's one thing to pass a CGC
    test in a neutral area vs how that same dog might react towards
    anybody coming into their territory (ie. lil' kid jumping the
    fence to retrieve a ball from your backyard).

    Oz is a completely different dog in the backyard, then he is
    when we're out and about. I seriously doubt he'd ever bite
    anybody, but he puts on a good show of barking and I've
    noticed that workmen that wouldn't think twice about coming
    in my backyard with Murph and Maddie, won't, now that I
    have Oz.

    Par...


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  15. #15
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    Originally posted by Twisterdog
    The data behind the "black list" of certain dog breeds exists, and its real. There are a lot of people disputing it, and I think they should. However, when pressed, the insurance companies have always been able to back their policies with facts about certain breeds and percentage of dog bites nationwide. They didn't arbitrarily pick these breeds, there is data behind it, sadly.
    I agree with this, but I think the reason behind this is the people who chose the breed for the wrong reasons (size, strength and reputation) not the breed themselves. I have a rottweiler and and a rott/shepherd mix and although they each have distinctly different personalities, neither would intentionally hurt anyone. Their size simply causes problems sometimes when they try to be lap dogs or give hugs

    Many disreputable people choose a breed, pitt bulls are the breed of choice in this area, for all the wrong reasons. A big thing here in RI is dog fighting and drugs. Many people own these dogs illegally and bring them up horribly. Children get bitten or mauled, the dog gets put down and the breed gets another mark on it's reputation. I think the blame is being put in the wrong place. It rests with the owner, not the breed and perhaps the statistics they should be gathering should center around the owners rather then the breed.

    BTW, I have Nationwide and my dogs were not an issue with them.
    ~Marie

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