While walking, your dog tears himself away and runs into the street. A driver avoids the animal and rams another car in the process. how often do chihuahuas go in heat vehicles have suffered considerable material damage. What started as a small mishap can quickly go right into the money. Good if you have taken out a dog liability for your four-legged friend. It pays for the damage caused. What you should pay attention to when choosing, you can find out here.
Do I need dog liability insurance?
Dog liability is one of the most important insurances for dog owners because it covers damage that your four-legged friend causes to third parties. This can be property damage such as a broken car or personal injury if a person has been injured by the dog.
Is dog liability mandatory?
In many federal states, dog liability is mandatory. Here, dog owners must take out insurance for all dogs from the age of three to six months. These federal states include:
Berlin
Hamburg
Lower Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia
Other federal states have limited the obligation for dog liability by law to so-called list dogs. So on pedigree dogs that have been classified as particularly dangerous – such as Bull Terrier, Mastiff, or Tosa Inu. Federal states with compulsory insurance for these breeds are:
Baden-Württemberg
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hesse
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saxony
Saarland
If you live in one of these federal states, you have the opportunity to subject your dog to a character test. This makes it possible to refute that the four-legged friend is overly aggressive.
In Bavaria, on the other hand, you are only obliged to take out insurance for dog liability if your list dog has become conspicuous by aggressive behavior.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, on the other hand, you have to insure dogs that weigh 20 kilograms or more and have a shoulder height of at least 40 centimeters.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the only German state that does not require dog insurance at all.
When does a dog liability make sense?
Basically, a dog liability for all dogs makes sense, whether large or small, gentle or aggressive. Because the damage that a four-legged friend can cause can quickly reach four-digit amounts and more. In the worst case, they even reach millions. This happens, for example, if people are injured and subsequently high hospital costs, loss of wages and compensation for pain and suffering are claimed. Even in the case of property damage, dog owners sometimes have to dig deep into their pockets.
A good case study here is the dangerous goods transporter, which avoids your Chihuahua jumped from the arm and drives against a wall. Fortunately, not much has happened at first glance, but the tank with the heating oil has leaked and the toxic substance runs unhindered into the ground and the nearby stream. The environmental damage quickly amounts to several million euros, for which you as a pet owner in Germany must be liable in full by law.
For which dog is a dog liability suitable?
If you want to take out dog liability insurance, you should first check whether the chosen insurer insures your breed. In general, most dog breeds can be insured without any problems. List dogs exclude some providers because of the higher risk. Others only cover their insurance cover for a surcharge.
A similar problem exists with mixed breeds. The insurance companies calculate the amount for the dog liability according to the respective dog breed. If you can’t tell which breed your dog belongs to, your veterinarian may be able to help. Based on the coat, the physique and other characteristics, he makes an assessment of which breeds your mixed breed dog contains.
With some insurance companies, you also have the option of sending in a photo of your four-legged friend so that the experts there can decide for themselves to which breed they assign the animal.
What is included in dog liability?
The basic package of dog liability already contains the most important services. This includes payment for:
Damage
Personal
Financial losses
It is important that the damage caused is caused by the unpredictability of animal behavior. This means that the dog must act independently. It must not have been deliberately directed by you. This would be the case, for example, if you deliberately rushed your dog to your neighbor’s.
What else can a dog liability cover?
In addition to this basic rate, you have the option of booking additional services with many dog liability insurances. Here it is worthwhile to read the insurance policy carefully before concluding the contract. In case of doubt, you conclude the dog liability on-site in an insurance office to discuss the individual points there. Important additional benefits with this dog insurance are above all:
Walking without a leash: In public spaces, such as in pedestrian zones or at events, the dog usually has to be on a leash according to the law. If you violate it, you commit an administrative offense. If damage is caused by walking without a leash, you are liable for it. Exception: You have chosen a corresponding tariff without compulsory leashing and your insurer will also step in in the event of damage when driving without a leash.
Rental property damage: The benefit includes damage caused by the dog to rented objects, such as the rented apartment or a rental car.
Foreign losses: This insurance coverage is important if you are often abroad with your dog. Some dog liability insurance policies already include temporary insurance cover for foreign countries. There are also differences in benefits in other European countries (EU) and stays outside Europe. In case of ambiguity, ask your insurance expert in order to be able to fall back on optimal insurance coverage when traveling with the dog.
Unwanted mating act: This option is interesting for owners of uncastrated males. If the male unintentionally covers a, your dog liability is liable for the costs incurred by the subsequent pregnancy of the.
Co-insurance of puppies: The additional benefit for dog liability is ideal if your uncastrated get puppies. These are then often insured up to the age of twelve months.
When does a dog liability not pay?
Dog liability always pays if strangers are harmed by the animal. If, on the other hand, the four-legged friend devastates your own living room or bites one of the children living in your household, it is self-harm. The insurer is not liable for this. Personal damage is caused if you or a person living in your household has been harmed.
Normally, even other insurance companies such as personal liability or household contents insurance do not cover this service and you have to bear these costs yourself.
What else is important in a dog liability?
When concluding a dog liability, pay attention to a sufficiently high sum insured of at least five million euros. For rental damages, you should estimate at least 300,000 euros, and for financial losses 50,000 euros.
Another important point in dog liability is the so-called third-party guardian risk. young rat terrier puppy the insurance covers damage if you or people from your household walk the dog. If outsiders (foreign guardians) also take care of the animal, you must make sure that they are also insured in the dog liability.
How much does a dog liability cost?
With dog liability, the costs are manageable. Inexpensive policies are already available from 35 euros per year. The annual contribution depends on the breed and size of the dog. Furthermore, the selected benefits and the amount of the sum insured play a role in the calculation of contributions.
Tip:
With dog liability insurance with a deductible, you save money because you take over a predetermined amount of money yourself in the event of damage. In addition, the contributions for your dog liability are tax-deductible. You can claim them on the annual income tax return
Which liability insurance for the dog is the best?
To choose dog liability insurance with a good price-performance ratio, it is best to use comparison portals. Here you enter the key data and a comparison calculator provides you with suitable offers.