Dog Liability Insurance for Homeowners

Dog liability insurance refers to the portion of your standard homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy that covers financial responsibility when your dog injures someone or damages their property. This coverage is automatically included in the liability section of most home insurance policies, with limits that can start at $100,000. Rather than a separate product you must purchase, it's built into the liability coverage you're already paying for with your homeowners insurance.

In 2024, the Insurance Information Institute reported that liability claims related to dog bites and other dog-related injuries reached $1.57 billion. The average cost per claim sat at $69,272 — a staggering amount if you don’t have home insurance. 

With dog liability insurance, you stay financially protected if your dog bites or causes damage to someone else’s property. Here’s how else dog liability insurance helps:

While homeowners insurance provides valuable dog liability protection, it doesn’t cover incidents involving your own family, certain breeds or intentional acts. Understanding these coverage gaps helps you assess whether you need additional protection or a standalone pet liability policy.

Insurance companies restrict certain breeds based on their internal risk assessments, which typically consider factors like the severity of injuries these breeds can inflict, their representation in bite claims, and the resulting legal costs. These breed restrictions apply regardless of an individual dog's training, temperament or history, which means even a gentle, well-trained Rottweiler faces the same exclusion as any other.

The most frequently excluded breeds include:

• Pit Bulls (including American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers)
• Rottweilers
• German Shepherds
• Doberman Pinschers
• Chow Chows
• Akitas
• Presa Canarios/Cane Corsos
• Wolf hybrids or wolf-dog mixes
• Mastiffs (various types)
• Alaskan Malamutes
• Siberian Huskies
• Great Danes

Some homeowners insurance companies work better for dog owners than others. Allstate, State Farm and USAA offer dog-friendly policies that don't automatically exclude certain breeds or charge excessive premiums for pet ownership.

The cost of dog liability insurance premiums vary based on several factors, including:

• Breed: Certain breeds considered high-risk (e.g., pit bulls, Rottweilers) often result in higher premiums.
• Age: Younger dogs may be seen as less predictable, while older dogs might face increased health-related risks.
• History: A dog with a history of bites or aggression will typically lead to more expensive coverage.
• Coverage limits: The more coverage you need (e.g., $100,000 vs. $300,000 in liability), the more your premium will be.
• Location: Insurance regulations and dog bite claim rates vary by state, which can influence your premium.

Most dog liability insurance policies cost between $100 and $1,000 annually. However, if your dog is classified as high-risk or has a past incident, you may be quoted at the higher end of the range or require a specialized insurer.

Animal liability insurance is a standalone policy separate from your homeowners insurance that specifically covers injuries and damages caused by your pet. You should consider this alternative coverage if:

• Your homeowners insurance denies coverage due to your dog's breed (Pit Bull, Rottweiler, etc.)
• Your dog has a bite history that resulted in policy exclusion
• You rent and your landlord requires specific pet liability coverage
• You want higher liability limits than your homeowners policy provides)
• You own multiple dogs or operate any dog-related business activities

These specialized insurers work with high-risk cases that traditional carriers avoid, providing essential protection when standard homeowners policies leave you exposed to pet-related liability claims.

Dog liability insurance is typically included in homeowners insurance policies and covers medical costs, lawsuits and property damage caused by a dog, whether at home or away. It helps protect homeowners from costly claims, including legal fees. 

However, coverage has limitations, such as excluding family injuries, business-related incidents and certain dog breeds or dogs with a bite history. For pet owners who fall into these excluded categories, standalone animal liability insurance offers an alternative for broader protection.

Pet liability insurance and homeowners coverage for dog incidents raise many questions. Here are answers to common questions about coverage limits, exclusions and when you might need additional protection.

MoneyGeek analyzed quotes from multiple insurance providers across the U.S. using a standard homeowner profile. We collected quotes from different locations and companies to show typical homeowner costs and rate variations between insurers.

Homeowner Profile

For our analysis, we created a sample homeowner profile with the following characteristics:

• Good credit score (769–792)
• Home constructed in 2000
• Wood-frame construction
• Composite shingle roof

Homeowners Insurance Coverage Details

Unless otherwise specified, we used the following coverage limits to collect quotes for our comparison:

• $250,000 in dwelling coverage
• $125,000 in personal property coverage
• $200,000 in personal liability coverage
• $1,000 deductible

We also compiled data for policies with broader coverage to determine the best companies for insuring expensive homes, increasing limits to $1 million in dwelling coverage, $500,000 in personal property coverage and $1 million in liability coverage.