As a first time home buyer, you probably didn’t know your dog could prevent you from closing on your new house, did you? Well he can. So you better be nice to him. Just kidding. Here’s what you need to know:
Before closing, you need to get homeowner’s insurance and pay the first year in advance.
Your mortgage lender will not let you close without homeowner’s insurance. You’ll also need to put your lender on the policy to be paid off in case the house is destroyed. After all, your house is the collateral for their mortgage.
Your insurance company wants to know about you and your house so they don’t take too many risks.
You’ll need to tell the company how big your house is, what kind of materials it’s built from, and where it’s located. They’ll also want to run a credit check. Oh, and they’ll ask if you have any pets.
Many insurance companies have lists of “dangerous dog breeds” and will not insure you if you have one.
The list is long and demonizes many perfectly nice dogs, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Alaskan Malamutes, Pit Bull-type dogs (not a breed) and many more. Some insurance companies will still provide coverage but may charge more for it. And finally, in states or towns where certain breeds are banned (for instance, Pit Bulls in Ohio – once again, not an actual breed) no insurer can provide coverage.
To know if your town or state bans certain breeds, you’ll have to do some research. The Dog Politics blog is a good place to start. It features an updated list by the Responsible Dog Owners Group which lists 75 Breeds of Dogs banned or restricted somewhere in the United States.
Unless your dog is actually banned in your state or town, you can stack the decks in your favor to get insurance coverage.
- Pass the Canine Good Citizen’s Test with your dog. Some insurers may provide coverage or even give you a discount.
- If you adopt a shelter dog, ask the adoption staff to emphasize the mix whose PR is better on your paperwork. Breed types are usually guesses anyway. So instead of having an adoption receipt for a Shepherd Lab Cross, how about Lab mix? Or Terrier mix instead of Pit Bull?
- Research to find which insurers do not practice breed discrimination. State Farm is one that reviews each dog individually.
- Strengthen your application for insurance. Have good credit; insure your car, life and home through the same company; stay with a company for a long time; and keep a high deductible. If the insurer has some leeway in making a decision, these factors may sway them in your favor.
- Live in Michigan or Pennsylvania. Both states have passed laws making it illegal for insurers to discriminate on the basis of breed.
- But if you have a pibble, look out in Ohio. State law defines a pit bull as a vicious breed. So no homeowner’s insurers will provide coverage.
- Protect your dog from harassment. Remember that an invisible electric fence may keep your dog home but it doesn’t prevent someone else from crossing your boundaries to get to him.
- Supervise your dog around young children. Most dog bites occur in the dog guardian’s home and the majority involve children.
- Join campaigns to fight breed specific legislation.
- Finally, don’t add to the problem of perception by naming your dog “Killer” or “Devil.” And don’t walk him on a spiked leash with a prong collar (which you shouldn’t do for any reason).
Having pets is one of the best perks of buying your own home.
Just don’t get caught in a trap where you have to choose between your home and your dog. Take steps to inform yourself now so your dog doesn’t prevent you from closing on your new home.
It’s not just first time buyers who are affected. Any home owner with a “dangerous breed” can have their coverage dropped. So share this post with all the dog lovers you know through Facebook, Twitter, or your favorite bookmarking site.
[Thank you to stephskardal for her photo of Oliver, Goofy Guy found on Flickr.]
This post was based on two posts I previously published on Something Wagging This Way Comes. You can find the original posts here and here.
Sounds like Michigan and Pennsylvania are the places to be if you like big dogs.
[...] I’ve written about home owner’s insurance companies refusing coverage to people whose dog’s breed is on a “dangerous dogs” list a few times. I even wrote about it on my other blog, Hands on Home Buyer. [...]