I called Liberty Mutual for a quote today for homeowner's insurance. They asked me if I had a dog and what kind. They won't take me because I have a GSD.

The guy said with pitbulls or GSD's they won't write a policy. Insane.

It's not all that unusual. My brother was denied because his dog was black and tan. My sister was denied because she had small kids and a dog over 40 lbs.

Keep shopping... you'll find someone.

A independent agent with Allied Insurance can possibly help you. My agent said they need to see the dog and decide for the company if the dog shows signs of aggressive behavior. If it doesn't they can insure.

It seems very strange to interview a dog.

I think State Farm is a little more lenient. Not sure, though.

My uncle had trouble getting insured because of his Akita. The agent went out to the house and stood outside the fence while the dog, of course, barked at him, because the dog was protecting his territory, but the agent didn't seem to understand that.

Many of these "rules" are not only based on the insurance carrier's decision, but are state/city/county based. You might want to include your city/county/state to get better feedback on which insurance companies might be a possibility.

Beth

See encrypted articles below from the AKC website (www.akc.org) If you could let me know which state is involved I can point you to the State Insurance Commissioner. Some states have laws that expressly deny insurance companies from excluding certain breeds from coverage. They allow companies to deny coverage for dogs that have a documented history of aggressive behavior. The AKC site includes all of the relevant state laws.

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Homeowners' Insurance Resource Center (AKC SITE)

Did you know that in most states it is legal for insurance companies to charge homeowners higher premiums or refuse to renew a policy based solely on the owner's breed of dog? Surprising as it may sound, more and more dog owners are being told they will be dropped by their insurance carrier if they refuse to give up their dog, even if they are long-time customers and their dog has never bitten or attacked anyone.

So what's a responsible dog owner to do? The Government Relations department has compiled the following resources to assist you in your efforts to find insurance.

* Position Statement on Homeowners' Insurance

* Tips on Finding Homeowners' Insurance

* Tips to Prevent Dog Bites

* State Insurance Commissioner Links

* Writing to Your Representative

* Model Legislation to Protect Against Insurance Discrimination

* Pending Legislation

* AKC Government Relations Home

Do you have a question or concern about homeowners’ insurance? Contact the Government Relations department at doglaw@akc.org.

You should also check into Umbrella Insurance. This is straight liability insurance where coverage usually starts after your Homeowners or Automobile policy has been exhausted (large judgements). The thing is, unless the Umbrella carrier excludes or does not allow animals, the liability damages caused by animals is usually covered from the first dollar or after the self-retained limit (similar to a deductible, usually around $1,500.). What you want is a TRUE UMBRELLA Policy NOT an EXCESS LIABILITY policy (this is important, even some agents will tell you it's an umbrella when it's an excess & excess mirrors primary coverage). There are actually quite a number of carriers that write stand alone Umbrella policies and don't require supporting lines business. The policies limits start at $1,000,000 and go up to $10,000,000. The rates are relatively cheap, usually start at around $200. a year. Please note, these policies do not replace Homeowners Insurance and carriers will require you have underlying insurance. The best advise I can give is to call Independent Agents and ask them about this type of policy.

I live in Washington State and have homeowners insurance through State Farm. I told them I have a GSD. They said they don't care.

My in-laws had their insurance carrier threaten to cancel back in the 70's because of having GSD's. They told them to take a hike they would find another carrier. We are in Tn and are insured thru Farmers. They come out and look the property over every few years to adjust the policies but have never said a thing about the dogs which have included Chows, Akitas and Dobes over the years.

Lisa

I have renter's insurance through All State, and they didn't even ask about dogs.