Pit Bull Dogs and Home Insurance

If you are a home owner with a pit bull dog, or are considering getting a pit bull, you may be aware that your pet could affect your home insurance. Here are some things to consider.

American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are some of the more popular breeds commonly referred to as pit bulls. Many home insurance companies consider these dogs as a potential liability risk because their owners are often held accountable by law if the dog injures a person. When you purchase a homeowners insurance policy, you receive a certain amount of liability coverage to help pay for lawsuits filed against you.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites cost the property and casualty insurance industry about $317.2 million in 2005. Because insurers consider certain breeds of dog as a higher risk for a claim, they will often charge higher home insurance rates for pit bull owners.

However, the thing to realize is that each insurance company determines their rates and underwriting guidelines based on several factors that may be unique to that company. Thus rates -- as well as tolerance for accepting dogs -- can vary quite a bit from company to company. So whether you already own a pit bull, or are planning on getting one, you should get some comparison home insurance quotes. The Insurance Information Institute recommends getting at least three different quotes.

This is easy to do online by requesting quotes from different company Web sites. Or you may want to use an insurance comparison site. These sites don't represent one company. Instead, you only need to fill out one online quote form, then you get several different quotes back. These sites often use independent agents who will work to find you the lowest quotes.

To further lower your homeowner insurance costs, consider raising your deductible as well as taking advantage of any available discounts.

And finally, the Insurance Information Institute recommends being proactive in reducing your chances of dog bite liability. They recommend spaying or neutering your pet, learning how to maintain control of your dog and properly socializing him or her so they know how to act around other people and animals. Also, talk to a vet about ways to reduce aggressive behavior.

Compare home insurance quotes for dog owners

Justin Scott writes about insurance issues. Get up to 5 free home insurance quotes at the comparison site LowerYourInsurance.com. The site also features more information about home insurance and dogs.

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How To Prevent PitBull Chasing a Bicycle?

Out walking, your pit bull may return obediently to heel most of the time, but if a bicycler or jogger appears on the horizon, its predatory instinct is triggered and the pursuit begins. This behavior is really a big problem for the owners. They may approach the vet or a dog trainer to modify the behavior. But you ought to do some simple training to your pit bull to modify this hatred behavior.

1. Your Pit Bull should have two sessions of strenuous daily exercise on a long line (9ft/3m).

2. You should give him obedience and agility training to challenge her mentally and provide an additional physical outlet. You should play retrieving games and give him toys such as puzzle feeders when he's alone.

3. You should teach her the "leave" command by slowly propelling a toy across the floor, and rewarding him when he comes straight to them rather than pursuing the toy.

4. When a bicycler appears, your pit bull should be given the command to "leave". A ball should be thrown in the opposite direction for him to chase, and should be rewarded every time she obeys.

5. If you cannot find extra time to look after pit bull and keep him stimulated, you should consider parting with him.