Home insurance includes personal liability coverage, which helps cover costs if your dog bites someone or damages property. With dog bite claims costing insurers over $1.1 billion in 2023, companies use breed data and risk models to decide what (and who) they’re willing to insure. The insurance industry relies on risk assessment processes that consider a dog’s breed, perceived risk, and historical data from various dog breeds.
Certain breeds, including pit bulls, are often flagged as high-risk—not necessarily because they’re dangerous, but because of claim severity and media attention. The perceived risk associated with certain dog breeds, including pit bulls and other dog breeds like Rottweilers and Dobermans, influences insurance company decisions.
These are examples of certain dog breeds commonly found on banned lists, but the insurance industry evaluates various dog breeds differently depending on their risk assessment models:
But here’s the good news: more insurers are shifting toward evaluating dogs individually, based on training, temperament, and behavior.
