You likely see your dog as a valued member of your family, but to your insurer, they could be an expensive liability—in 2022, there were 17,597 dog-bite liability claims in the United States for property damage or related injuries, costing more than $1 billion. Because of these numbers, you could wind up paying a high premium or signing a liability waiver for your homeowners insurance if you own or are thinking about getting a dog. There’s also a chance that your insurer might not cover them, especially if they have a history of aggressive behavior. Here’s what you can do to ensure coverage while also keeping your costs as low as possible.

Covering your pup

The first step is getting your dog on your policy, if they aren’t already. You should also check with your insurer to see if your pet will affect your coverage or your premium. You might have to change or update your coverage and your rate could go up, though this increase will likely be small. It’s also a good idea to  research whether your policy will provide coverage if your dog bites someone off your property, such as at your neighborhood park.

Of course, you don’t have to add your dog to your policy, but then you could be liable for tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills and legal fees if your pet were to bite someone—in 2022, the average cost per dog-bite claim was $64,555.

Breeds that could raise your rates

Some breeds are more likely to raise your premium than others. How much so depends in part on how aggressive and dangerous your kind of dog is thought to be. These include:

• Akita
• Alaskan malamute
• Chow chow
• Doberman pinscher
• German shepherd
• Pit bull
• Rottweiler
• Siberian husky

If your policy doesn’t cover your dog, you could look into raising your liability coverage (and pay a higher premium) or shop policies from other insurers that would cover your dog. Otherwise, you could try getting separate dog-liability coverage or an umbrella insurance policy, which could provide extra liability protection to supplement your homeowners insurance policy. Paying a little more for insurance could be worth it for the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you and your dog are protected if anything happens—contact an insurance professional to determine what’s the right move for you.