Does homeowners insurance cover dog bites?

When does homeowners insurance cover dog bites? 

According to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), dog-related liability claims cost insurers more than $1.1 billion in 2023. Homeowners insurance may cover damages resulting from dog bites through the liability or medical payments portions of your home insurance policy.

• Medical payments coverage: This coverage helps pay for medical costs if a guest is injured on your property, regardless of fault. If your dog bites a guest, this could help pay for their medical bills up to your policy limits. Homeowners usually have between $1,000 and $5,000 of coverage baked into their policy.
• Personal liability coverage: This coverage helps pay for legal costs related to incidents on your property if you or a member of your household is liable. Since your dog is your responsibility, if the dog bites someone, personal liability may help cover any legal fees associated with the incident, up to your policy limits. Most policies have somewhere between $100,000 and $500,000 of liability coverage. If desired, you can likely up the liability limits included in a standard homeowners policy by purchasing umbrella insurance. 

Typically, homeowners insurance covers dog bites that occur off-property, too. While medical payments coverage only applies to guests who visit your home, your personal liability insurance applies worldwide. Meaning, if your dog bites someone while you're in the park or out on a walk, you should be able to file a claim under the liability portion of your home insurance policy if you are facing a lawsuit.

When does homeowners insurance not cover dog bites?

While homeowners insurance may cover dog bites in certain situations, some exclusions exist. Check with your insurance agent or carrier to see how your coverage may or may not apply to dog-related incidents.

Speaking broadly, here are some common exclusions.

Excluded coverage for dog breeds

Your property insurer may have a restricted dog breed list. Dog breeds and mixes that are commonly excluded from coverage by homeowners insurance companies are:

• Akita
• Alaskan Malamute
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Bullmastiff
• Chow Chow
• Doberman pinscher
• German shepherd
• Great Dane
• Mastiff
• Pit bull
• Presa Canario, or canary dog
• Rottweiler
• Siberian husky
• Staffordshire bull terrier
• Wolf dogs and hybrids

If your dog is a restricted dog breed, a bite is unlikely to be covered. Check with your specific insurance company, though, as it may have different breed restrictions (or none at all).

Excluded coverage for household members

Your homeowners insurance also will not cover dog-related injuries to you, your household members or your home or personal property if caused by a dog that you own. Say your dog bites a family member, such as your spouse, your homeowners liability coverage or medical payments coverage would not help cover any medical bills associated with this incident. The same restrictions apply if your dog bites another dog in your household.

Exclusions by state 

State legislation can affect whether home insurance covers a dog bite and how dogs are — or aren't — included in your policy. For example, in Pennsylvania and Michigan, insurance companies are not allowed to cancel or deny a policy based on a homeowner's dog breed. In Ohio, dog bites are excluded from home insurance if the dog has a history of violent behavior. 

To get deeper insight into dog bites and insurance, contact a licensed insurance agent. They will be able to explain how your state's negligence laws affect your insurance policy.

How to file a homeowners insurance dog bite claim

The first step in filing a dog bite claim is to find out what your policy covers. You may be able to file a claim online by visiting your homeowners insurance provider’s website and following outlined steps. You can also contact your insurer, as many companies have 24/7 claims service. If your policy was set up with a local agent, you might have to contact them during regular business hours. The paperwork you received when setting up your homeowners insurance policy, specifically your declarations page, usually has a phone number listed on it to contact customer service or the claims department.

When filing a liability or medical payments claim for a dog bite, you may have to provide the following details to your insurance company:

• The name(s) of the injured individuals or animals
• Veterinary and behavioral records for the biting dog
• The date and circumstances surrounding the incident
• Any receipts for medical care related to the incident
• Any relevant legal documents related to litigation following the incident

Home insurance after a dog bite could change. In general, insurance costs more after you file a claim. Depending on your state, it's also possible that your home insurance company will exclude dog bites in the future.

How to prevent dog bites

Having your dog bite someone can be devastating for both you and the person who’s injured, so it’s important to try and minimize the likelihood of that happening. Here are a few tips that may help you prevent dog bites from the American Veterinary Medical Association: 

• Socialize your pet: Socializing your dog may make them more at ease around other dogs and humans. Exposing your dog to different scenarios in a controlled environment can help them develop good habits.
• Be cautious around young children: A toddler may not be able to understand a dog's body language and could play more roughly with an animal. Keep a watchful eye and teach all members of your household, the tall and the small, how to appropriately interact with fido.
• Train your dog: Dogs with a history of aggression or fear of new people may require extra training. A professional dog trainer can recommend safety tips and help you properly train your dog to prevent bites by others.  
• Obey leash laws: When out walking your dog, leashing your pet may be the law in many places. Or, if you are in a potentially stressful situation (such as when guests are visiting your home), consider putting your dog on a leash until you are reasonably sure it will not act in an aggressive manner.
• Keep up with your pet's vaccines: A pet in pain or poor health is more likely to lash out and bite. Keeping up with your dog's vaccines and parasite prevention can help, as can scheduling regular vet appointments to make sure your pet is happy and healthy.
• Be proactive: Know your pet, and know their boundaries. If you know your dog gets a little nervous in public spaces or around strangers, politely decline someone's request to pet them.

Frequently asked questions