“Dangerous Breeds”- Where do you stand on the doggie debate?

Those in the insurance industry are well aware of the list of Dangerous Breeds.  It’s a list comprised of the most dangerous dog breeds (Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc.) that often forces breed owners to seek alternate home insurance coverage or pay higher rates.  (Many insurance companies will not provide coverage for a home where a dangerous breed dog resides.)

Many “dangerous breed” owners not only loathe the classification of their dog’s breed as dangerous- but also find it offensive that all dogs of one breed would be classified as dangerous based on isolated incidents. The dog owners’ argument is aligned with the Humane Society’s statement on their website, “While breed is one factor that contributes to a dog’s temperament, it alone cannot be used to predict whether a dog may pose a danger to his or her community.”

Home insurance companies, however, take a great risk when insuring dog owners. As a homeowners insurance company, they are responsible for protecting homeowners against lawsuits. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that more than 4.7 million dog bites are reported each year- which leaves homeowners exposed to lawsuits if it is their dog doing the biting.

A study was performed between 1979 and 1998 to identify the breeds of dogs that were most commonly involved in dog bite related fatalities.  The following were determined to be the most frequently involved in fatalities (in descending order)

• Pit bull type
• Rottweiler
• German Shepherd Dog
• Husky-type
• Malamute
• Doberman Pinscher
• Chow Chow
• Great Dane
• Saint Bernard

Any owners of “dangerous breeds”  or insurance professionals want to weigh in here?