Originally posted by catnapper
I think it nuts to target certain breeds... we all know that its a matter of how it was raised and trained. Perhaps all policies should have a home visit to meet the dog and determine to risk.
I am not in favor of black listing breeds, to be sure. However, I feel it needs to be pointed out that the insurance companies that maintain a list of dogs they will not insure are not just pulling these breeds out of the air, or picking them at random.

Anyone who has worked in the insurance business will tell you, there are reams and reams of detailed statistics behind every policy. There has to be. The insurance industry has to be able to back up their policy of charging you $2,000 per year to insure a Corvette, and $600 per year to insure a Chevette ... and granting you insurance if you own a lab, and denying you insurance if you own a malamute. Actuaries make their entire careers of compiling detailed statistics about every conceivable item in an insurance policy. The "blacklisted" dog breeds were compiled from hard evidence ... number of bites per capita per breed of dog.

I, of course, feel it is the training and up-bringing of the dog has the most impact. But the answer is not simply to blame the insurance companies for being "unfair". They are not unfair. They operate using the facts ... and if the nationwide number of reported bites per 1,000 is 2 for a golden retreiver and 50 for a german shepherd .... well, they are going to hedge their bets and insure the lab owner. They are in business and it is their right to try to stay solvent.