Uninsurable Dog Breeds

Actuarial Risk

Breed regulations are enacted throughout the world because specific dog breeds have demonstrated a disproportionate rate of mauling, maiming and killing not only human beings, but farm animals, pets and service dogs. A dog’s breed indicates the potential to inflict serious or fatal injuries because of the power of their jaws and certain inherit genetic traits, which were specifically selected for the breeds purpose. Insurance companies have long known this and have acted to protect their financial interests. The following types of dog breeds are most often considered high-risk dog breeds by many insurance companies:

• Pit Bull Terriers
• Staffordshire Terriers
• Rottweilers
• German Shepherds
• Presa Canarios
• Chows Chows
• Doberman Pinschers
• Akitas
• Wolf-hybrids
• Mastiffs
• Cane Corsos
• Great Danes
• Alaskan Malamutes
• Siberian Huskies

Dr. Stanely Coren addressed this issue in a piece in Psychology Today back in 2014.

The motivation for denying insurance to households with certain breeds of dogs is based on financial considerations. As one representative of Allstate Insurance told me, “We are in the business of evaluating risk, and based on what we know, the dogs on our ‘uninsurable list’ pose a higher risk.” She went on to tell me that dog bites are a major financial burden for the insurance industry. “Dog bite-related claims accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners’ insurance liability claims paid out in 2013. That amounted to about $490 million, with the average claim costing close to $30,000. But the actual costs can be much higher. In 2011, a Washington State Superior Court jury awarded a $2.2 million verdict to a woman who was attacked by two neighborhood pit bulls near her home in Tacoma, Washington. The woman sued the dogs’ owners whose homeowners’ policies were unfortunately limited to $100,000 each.”

14 Dog Breeds Blacklisted by Insurance Companies by Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC, Psychology Today, May 27, 2014

Dog bites and other dog-related injuries accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2018, costing more than $675 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Here are some articles about the breeds of dogs insurances companies will not cover. Pit bulls are at the top of every list.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeowners Insurance for Dog Owners

America’s Most Dangerous Dog Breeds [Infographic] – 2018 Forbes