How Dog Breeds Can Impact Your Homeowners Insurance Premium

Dog ownership comes with its own share of risks. If your dog may act out, you may see higher homeowners insurance premiums, claims denied or even your policy canceled — especially depending on the dog’s breed. While not all homeowners insurance companies make decisions about your insurance premium based solely on breed, other factors — such as a dog’s history of biting or property damage — can also affect what you pay for coverage.

Keep reading to learn about the connection between dog breeds and home insurance premiums, and why certain dog breeds impact home insurance decisions.

On This Page

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  Do Dogs Impact Home Insurance Rates?

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  How Can Dogs Impact Insurance Rates?

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  Which Dog Breeds Impact Homeowners Insurance?

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  Why Do Insurance Companies Consider Certain Dog Breeds Risk Factors?

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  FAQs

Do Dogs Impact Home Insurance Rates?

Dogs that pose a potential liability risk can impact home insurance rates. Home insurance rates are often determined by how likely you are to make a claim, taking into account features like where you live or your marital status.^[1] Although viewed as family members by many, dogs are still animals and may behave unpredictably when stressed or in unfamiliar situations, potentially causing injuries or property damage.

Depending on the dog’s breed or history of aggressive or destructive behavior, insurers may view the pet as a future liability and increase premiums accordingly.^[2]

Can I Be Denied Home Insurance Coverage Because of My Dog?

Your homeowners insurance company may deny or cancel coverage if you own a dog of a certain breed. Alternatively, if your dog has a history of biting or has caused significant damage in the past, the insurer may consider you too high-risk to insure.^[3]

In some cases, your insurance carrier may still provide coverage — but exclude claims involving your dog.^[4] This means if your dog bites someone or damages property, you could be responsible for the out-of-pocket costs.

Some insurance companies don’t automatically reject dog owners based on breed. In these cases, they may still offer coverage if you provide proof of your dog’s good behavior, such as a veterinarian’s letter, a Canine Good Citizen certification from the American Kennel Club or an in-home evaluation by an insurance agent.^[4]

How Can Dogs Impact Insurance Rates?

Below are some of the ways dogs can affect your insurance rates.

Liability

As mentioned earlier, dogs can damage others' property or cause injuries through scratches or bites. Most homeowners insurance companies include dog bites under liability coverage, which means they may factor in your dog’s breed when determining your rate.^[2]

Even if a breed isn’t excluded, dogs considered more aggressive and linked to prior claims could raise your rates. However, liability premiums for owning an aggressive breed typically increase by only about 1% on average.^[5]

Restricted Breeds

Some insurance companies consider dog breeds when determining rates, often citing statistics that show certain breeds are more likely to cause a claim.^[4] Dogs from restricted breeds may be viewed as too high-risk to insure — regardless of the individual dog’s personality or temperament.

In some cases, your insurance company may cancel your homeowners policy or deny claims involving dogs of a specific breed.^[4] We’ll cover which dog breeds are frequently restricted later in the article.

Bite History

Even if you’ve never filed a claim involving your dog, a bite history could still lead to higher premiums. Dogs often bite as a fear response, and certain actions — such as backing away — can reinforce that fear and make repeat incidents more likely.^[6]

Dog bites can be expensive. In 2023, the average liability insurance claim payout was $58,545.^[7] As a result, insurance companies may increase your premiums or even deny coverage to mitigate their financial risk.

Claims

Filing a homeowners insurance claim — regardless of the reason — can increase your insurance rates. Even a single claim may raise your premium by up to 50%, as insurers often assume you’re more likely to file again.^[8] For example, if you file a liability claim because your dog chewed through a wall, your insurer may increase your rates, anticipating more dog-related incidents in the future.

Which Dog Breeds Impact Homeowners Insurance?

Insurance companies may deny coverage based solely on your dog's breed — even if the dog has no history of violent behavior or past claims. While the list of excluded breeds can vary by insurer, commonly restricted breeds include:^[5]

Alternatively, your insurer may raise premiums due to the perceived higher risk of filing a liability claim when owning certain breeds.^[5]

Keep in mind that even if your insurance company doesn’t have specific breed restrictions for your type of dog, your coverage may still be affected by local laws. For example, some states, such as Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico and Tennessee, may have breed-specific legislation or local ordinances that ban the ownership of certain breeds.^[9] Always review your local laws, as owning a banned breed in your state could be considered illegal and result in denied claims or dropped coverage.

Why Do Insurance Companies Consider Certain Dog Breeds Risk Factors?

Some of the reasons insurance companies may consider certain breeds to be a risk factor include:

• Statistical data shows certain breeds have a higher rate of claims
• Dog bites can cause serious injuries and lead to high claim costs — some breeds may be considered more likely to bite
• Some breeds may be prone to sudden bursts of energy, which could damage property and result in a claim