4 Responses to “Can property insurance be canceled due to owning a Mastiff dog?”

1. car253 says:

   January 16, 2010 at 7:42 am

   Some Insurance companies do not cover dogs or certain breeds. Call your insurance company and ask.

   If your insurance company does not cover dogs or your breed then I would switch to a company that does. You do not need to let insurance get in the way of getting a dog.
2. deltaxray7 says:

   January 18, 2010 at 3:20 pm

   You’d have to check with your insurance company to find out for sure.
   But they can pretty much make any rule they want.
3. Margarita D says:

   January 21, 2010 at 4:04 pm

   Some states do not allow insurance companies to prohibit certain dog breeds. Furthermore even when they do allow this for underwriting purposes not all companies have prohibited dog lists. If your company does prohibit Mastiffs search for another company that does not by contacting a local independent insurance agent who represents multiple insurance companies.

   Regardless, if you already have your homeowners insurance in place, you are not required to notify your insurance company that you have purchased a dog. However, if your insurance company asks you if you have a dog or you are just now applying for insurance and they ask you, you will need to tell them the truth. Not all insurance companies charge extra for the type of dog. Some of the companies, where allowed by state law, will either increase your rate or cancel your policy even if the dog has never bitten anyone. Of course if you have a claim involving the dog and it is serious, the insurance company will cancel your policy.

   Just to give you peace of mind, call the Insurance Commissioner for your state (you can find the website for the phone number by using google to type Insurance Commissioner and the name of your state) and ask them if your insurance company is allowed to have a list of prohibited dogs in your state. Obviously I would not call your insurance company to inquire because then you are bringing attention to the matter before you have a chance to do your research and decide what you want to do.

   I would also make sure that your dog has obedience training and keep a good fence around the perimeter of your property.

   I hope this helps. Good Luck!
4. mbrcatz says:

   January 24, 2010 at 2:30 am

   Well, insurance can be cancelled, if you have a prohibited breed dog - BUT, I’ve never seen Mastiffs on any list for any of the carriers I’ve ever represented.

   I’d call your agent, and just tell them, you’re thinking about getting a dog, which breeds are on their prohibited dog list, so you can avoid those breeds.

   Most of the time, it’s Rotties, Pitt Bulls, Wolf/wolf hybrids, chows, akitas. Sometimes it’s german shepherds or dobermans. Call your agent and ask what it is for YOUR insurance company.