Dog liability insurance

There is no question about it: dog liability insurance is the most important insurance that a dog owner should take out for his pet. What do the various federal states think about compulsory liability insurance? What damages are covered and what is the premium based on?

Your dog is an exuberant animal, he loves the Frisbee and even more he loves to run after it and catch it in the air. He doesn't look to the right or to the left, but only into the air to grab the Frisbee at the right moment. That's why he doesn't see the cyclist, who just manages to avoid a head-on collision by braking fully. The front wheel locks, the rear wheel rears up - and the cyclist lies in the dirt with torn trousers and bloody knees. And the bike is broken too.

It's good if you have dog liability insurance, because your private liability insurance does not cover damage caused by your dog!

In Germany, each federal state regulates how to deal with pet owner liability. Basically, there are three models: compulsory insurance for all dogs, compulsory insurance for certain dogs and no compulsory dog liability insurance. And this is how the federal states do it:

Compulsory insurance for all dogs: Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia.

Compulsory insurance for certain dogs: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony.

Compulsory insurance generally applies to dogs classified as dangerous and certain breeds, so-called fighting or listed dogs. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the obligation also applies to large dogs, i.e. dogs that have a withers height of at least 40 cm and/or weigh at least 20 kg.

Only in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is there no compulsory dog liability insurance.

However, it is recommended that every dog owner take out liability insurance, because the provisions of the German Civil Code (BGB), § 823 (liability for damages) and § 833 (liability of the animal owner) basically oblige the dog owner to pay for all damage caused by his dog.

Dog liability covers dog owners against damage caused by their own dog to third parties. This includes:

• Personal injury: all damage that results in injury, impairment of health or death of a person. Consequences of personal injury include, for example, claims for compensation for pain and suffering, medical and treatment costs.
• Property damage: all damage that damages or destroys the substance of an object or thing. Liability insurance covers the costs of replacement or repair, for example.
• Financial loss: all financial losses incurred as a result of personal injury or property damage, for example loss of earnings.

In addition, there are numerous other benefits that dog liability insurance can offer:

• Protection even in the event of a breach of the owner's duties: if a dog runs around freely despite the leash requirement and causes damage, the insurance will still cover it
• Dog guardians are insured: if friends or acquaintances look after your dog, they are also covered.
• Damage to rented property: if you live in a rented flat or house, it is important that the insurance covers damage to movable and immovable property. This also applies to damage to a rented holiday home.
• Foreign cover: most insurance policies are valid throughout Europe without a time limit; outside Europe, insurance cover is often limited in time.
• Mating damage: insures unintentional mating acts. If your unneutered male dog mates with a bitch, the insurance covers the costs of raising the puppies, for example.
• Puppy cover: Puppies are covered almost everywhere for the first months with the mother-bitch.
• Participation in dog events, e. g. agility tournaments or dog sled races.
• Loss of claim: covers you if you are injured by someone else's dog who does not have dog liability insurance.
• damage to land, i.e. damage caused by the dog in other people's gardens, in the forest or in the cemetery.

The rates of the individual insurances differ in the amount of coverage for personal injury, property damage and financial loss and in the other benefits. Some tariffs have an excess.

Many different tariffs are offered on the market, which vary greatly in benefits and premiums. In order to make a price comparison, certain criteria are defined that the tariff must fulfil. This so-called basic protection was defined by Stiftung Warentest and includes [1]:

• Sum insured for personal injury and property damage: at least 5 million €.
• Sum insured for financial losses: at least € 50,000
• Damage to rented property covered up to € 250,000
• No deductible
• Protection also in the event of a breach of the owner's duties, which includes walking without a leash despite the leash being compulsory.
• Dog guardians are insured
• Stays abroad insured for at least 1 year
• Mating damage is covered
• Puppy cover for at least 6 months while still living in the same household

The following table lists 10 insurance companies that offer affordable dog liability insurance. The values were calculated for a Labrador, they are rounded and to be understood as guidelines. In addition, the age of the dog owner was set at older than 50 years.

Most insurance companies offer further tariffs that provide a higher sum insured or additional benefits for a higher annual premium.

Age of the owner: Many insurance companies offer special rates depending on the age of the owner. Young people often pay the highest premiums, but the older the owner is when the policy is taken out, the cheaper the premiums become. The XL tariff from Adam Riese selected here is very special: if you take out the policy at the age of 18, you pay just under €65, but if you take out the policy in your late 50s, you only pay €50 a year. Other insurance companies such as Oberösterreichische, balunos or Gothaer do not offer any discounts with increasing age.

Dog breed: Many insurances offer the same premiums for the most common dogs in Germany, regardless of whether it's a Chihuahua or a German Shepherd, with the exception of listed dogs. Some insurances, however, make the premiums dependent on the breed of dog. For example, with Bavaria Direkt or Adam Riese you pay less than 40 € for a Chihuahua and about 90 € for a German shepherd for the rates shown in the table.

If you want to insure a dangerous dog, i.e. a fighting dog or a listed dog, the choice of insurers is much smaller and the premiums are significantly higher.

Liability insurance for your dog is not compulsory in every federal state, but it is definitely recommended. With a so-called basic cover, personal injury, property damage and financial losses and, depending on the tariff, many other benefits are covered. It is worth comparing different dog liability insurance policies, as premiums vary widely. For some insurances, premiums decrease with increasing age of the dog owner. Special premiums apply to fighting or listed dogs; many insurance companies do not insure them at all. Even for normal dogs, i.e. dogs not classified as dangerous, some providers have different premiums depending on the breed.