Brenda

Man Learns Dog Ownership Can Affect Insurance Coverage

Insurance companies are increasingly using ownership of certain dog breeds as a reason to deny coverage. A Sacramento man says that's not right when the pet is a service dog.

Ed Nelson learned of the exclusion when he went to change policies after his previous company increased his premiums. Nelson's dog is a German Shepherd service dog named Ace. The Sacramento man has a disability that's not readily apparent, but with Ace by his side, Nelson is able to go to work everyday as an automobile mechanic. "He's with me 24-7," he said. "To be without him, I'm lost."

After shopping around, Nelson was set to change his coverage to Allied Insurance Company. However, when the company learned he had a German Shepherd, Nelson said the company declined to write his homeowner's policy unless he got rid of Ace.

According to Allied spokesperson Mike Palmer, the exclusion took effect in 2004. He said "certain breeds that have a tendency to be problematic may not qualify" for the home owner to obtain coverage.

An attorney who also trains service dogs said that's not unusual. "Dog bites make up a lot of claims they end up paying," said Dawn Capp. "They want to limit their risk." Capp said she knows of only two carriers that have no breed discrimination policies.

Nelson said he thinks exceptions should be made for service dogs without a violent history. "Because of one bad apple somewhere down the line, they're going to make me get rid of what helps me function in life," he said.

Allied has told Nelson that if Ace successfully completes the American Kennel Clubs Good Citizen Program, it would reconsider his insurance application.

Among the dog breeds that insurance companies may exclude are Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Chows, Akitas, Huskies, Great Danes and German Shepherds.

Capp said she wouldn't be surprised if there are more exclusions when a new law takes effect in January in California that allows counties to force certain breeds to be neutered and spayed. "So once counties start targeting breeds, insurance companies will very likely decide those breeds are too much of a liability," she said.

:) Mary

I just don't get the reasoning behind it all.

Brenda

As a Chow owner I have to say that yes she would bite if someone had her in a corner but she would never go after someone same as her predecessor and when I owned a German Shepard the same thing. My Shepard even had several 1st place ribbons in obedience that didn't make a difference. None of them have bitten anyone (except for a one vet tech)because I am responsible pet owner.

I believe this is just another way for the insurance companies to get more money. How many people who don't have insurance own these breeds and how many people are going to 'forget' to tell their agents what breed of dog they own.

I agree about the breeds of dogs listed having the "potential" to do harm. My dog Red was a chow/retriever cross, and he was what I lovingly refer to as "volatile". I don't know what his life was like before he showed up at our house, but even I have to agree that some dogs are just born a little whacko.

I also agree that this insurance business probably comes down to money. I can't see it standing up to any scrutiny, but far crazier things have happened.

Remind me to never get a "Beware of Dog" sign!

Brenda

I have instructed all the children who are allowed in the yard (by definition, they are children I love or they wouldn't be allowed in the yard) that if the dog growls at them, God forbid actually nips them, they are in SO much trouble with me, because each of them has received instruction in reading dog language and they would have gotten at least three or four warnings before the teeth come out. They know about tail and ears being down, dogs walking away, etc. If you get bit in my yard it's because you had it coming, and now you deal with me.

I paid $1,500 to move the electric meter so the meter reader doesn't have to come into the fenced yard, so any stranger who "wanders" through the locked gate or over the 5-foot fence, heh heh... idiot.

Isis nipped a kid once. He went under the table where she was sleeping and pulled her hair. He was more scared than anything. The thing that upset me about that was his mother was watching and although she said she realized it was his fault she still stormed out of the house.

Adrea

I was told that chow mixes are the #1 dogs destroyed in animal shelters. Such a shame. Have you guys seen the show "The dog whisperer"? Ceaser does such great work with "violent" dogs. Pit bulls, rotties, chows, they all respond to his gentle methods. I love that show.

i catch the show once in awhile...very interesting.

I know my views aren't going to be popular in this forum, but I have to speak up for the two innocent kids I remember from my youth and all those other kids out there that will inevitably be attacked by some obtuse dog owners "guard dog".
I'm a pretty easy going guy, but the incident of those two kids from my youth has left a very vivid scar in my memory, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the scars, both emotional and physical, left with the two victims themselves.

It is never excusable for a dog owner to allow their dog to be in circumstances where it would feel threatened and lash out. It's our job to protect our dogs and the world at large from one another. In no way am I excusing leaving a pit bull in a yard alone where a kid could get in.

Good God, if a child was actually injured by my dog, chastising the child would be the last thing on my mind. It's my duty to make sure that doesn't happen, and that's what I'm talking about. My dogs are trained, they are restrained, they are reassured that they are in a safe place; that's half of the equation. The other half is making sure children who come near the dogs are educated about safe behavior, as well, and when I say I'll give that child heck for getting nipped, I mean I'm really serious about them knowing that certain behaviors are unacceptable around dogs, for THEIR safety, not the dogs'. The same way you'd punish a kid for running out into traffic.

Again, I'm sorry for what happened to those kids in your presence. No one should have to go through that.

I don't like to allow anyone under the 7-10 range around my dogs. I say 7-10 because there can be a big difference in maturity and size in kids. Never unattended.

In the incident with Isis the kid was younger than that he didn't know better and didn't listen when I told him to stop. Isis got yelled at. The kids mom got yelled at. It could have been a very bad situation save for Isis leaving the faintest welt (she barely grazed his cheek and probably would have just scared him growling in a less confined space).

I might have left it at bad Isis but the kids mom thought it was funny he didn't listen (she wasn't done giggling before I heard a growl) and I wasn't physically close enough to grab him.

When I was younger I saw a kid get bit requiring a one stitch. He was spitting on the dog. The dog got put to sleep. The dad got him a whole series of dogs to torture. Took him years to accept his son was bad not the six or so dogs he caused to be pts.

I've never personally seen an unprovoked attack. That's why I always ask what the person was doing to initiate it. It's not to say there aren't unprovoked attacks but I wouldn't have a dog that unstable sharing my space. For whatever reason I can't imagine anyone else would either.

Adrea

Mucky- I have no problem with your views, and me and DH are 100% accountable for the actions of our dog.

Even so, he's nipped Madison a time or two in play, as she plays aggressively with him, and he plays back just as aggressively, and sometimes accidents happen... nothing ever drew blood, and never deliberate, except he snapped at her once when she stumbled and fell backwards on top of him (only natural... she weighs 7 times what he does).

He's snapped at me a time or two when I was trying to take away something he wasn't supposed to have (he wants to chew on EVERYTHING he can get in his mouth, yaknow, and on these occasions, he had gotten under the rolling cart he likes to hide under -- his FIRST "den" when he moved in, and where he still likes to hide sometimes, although he's too big to get under there now except by wriggling on his side, which he does, lol).

He hasn't snapped at me in a long time, either. He doesn't like the result (I don't hit him, but I can be a rather IMPOSING PRESENCE when I choose to be, lol).

I agree people should be responsible for their dogs, though. However, Adrea, I know some folks DO like having dogs who are vicious, for whatever reason... some say for "protection," but I think some just like having a mean dog, and some make them mean by treating the dogs mean, taking out their own meanness on the dog.

I live in a county of roughly 225,000 people, and we've had 3, yes THREE children killed by dogs in this county in the last year. Two of the three were dogs kept on chains, which prompted the proposal of a local law banning chaining, but it didn't get passed (yet).

I don't remember all the details, but in at least one case, the dog was the pet of the same family whose 2-year-old was killed. Now how would you like to have your own dog kill your 2-year-old daughter? Dog was on a chain, but she got within its reach. That was all it took. It's tragic.

That said, having homeowner policies that won't cover certain breeds and make no exceptions for trained service dogs is just downright WRONG -- especially considering that many bites come from other breeds that usually aren't on those lists, and that a little pomeranian killed a 6-week-old infant in California a few years back.

Dogs have such similar emotional makeups to humans we sometimes tend to forget they ARE still dogs, with different instincts and understandings of the world. We shouldn't.

Please take care with your pets,
Jeff

I think my favorite episode was the one with the BIG dog (a Great Dane, I think) that was afraid to go into the school hallway after having skidded and slammed into the wall in the past. Cesar took the leash, and they went running into the building before the dog realized what was happening. Happy ending, as always. :) He's awesome!

Brenda

Great idea, too! I wonder if they have any suggestions for dogs that actually pee on other dogs. :\

Brenda

What a crock? Parents should be held liable for their children actions. Those kids KNEW they were wrong to go into someone else's yard, it is called trepassing! Everyone has to learn their actions have consquences while unfortunate (same as if they had been hit by a car running into the street to get the Frisbee) it is still their own fault. And now they have to live with those consquences. Now you can blame the dog or the owners of the dog, but face it the kids made a bad choice. They are lucky that choice didnt cost them their life. And those parents who weren't around to tell their children not to go into their neighbors yard should be charged with neglect.

BTW, its not just dogs the insurance companies are denying.
Its horses too. We ran into this several years ago when we bought our last place. Insurance companies wouldn't insure us because we had horses, they said we would have to get "farm" insurance. O.k., so we go to the "farm" insurance carriers and they tell us "sorry, we don't insurance properties under 20 acres."
We had a heck of a time trying to get insurance. Its ridiculous too. Insurance companies are such a racket.

I'd almost forgot about that incident with Isis. I'm still mad that the parent was giggling that the kid didn't listen.

My friends had trouble finding insurance for their place. They had a diabetic, blind, geriatric rotty.....still a rot from insurance standpoint....