Do you have dog bite insurance? If you own a dog you can be held liable if your dog bites someone. Typically renter’s insurance or homeowner’s policies provide some cover for dog bite liability, but these policies may not cover the complete cost of a claim and if they don’t, the dog owner will be liable for the rest.
Although many States have ‘one free bite’ rules that apply in cases where the owner is judged to not have had reason to suspect their dog would bite, once your dog has bitten someone you will be expected to take steps to correct the behavior or face losing your insurance. Once your dog has bitten someone, the insurance company will see you (and your dog) as an increased risk.
You are also at the mercy of the insurance company once your dog has bitten someone. The pet insurance company may charge a higher premium, exclude the dog from coverage or not renew the policy. No matter how you look at the situation from this point forward it does not look good. You are known considered a risk for the pet insurance.
Perhaps it is better to deal with your dog’s aggression and biting instinct before things get out of hand and you lose your homeowner’s insurance. Contrary to what the tabloid press would have you believe, dogs do not bite for any reason.
If you are training a puppy, then teaching against dog biting during playtime is best. Simply take a tug of war rope or similar toy designed for chewing, and begin playing with the puppy. As long as his teeth don’t make contact with your skin, continue playing and praising him. Once his teeth do make contact with your skin, say “ouch,” take the toy away, stand up, and turn away from the puppy. Count to ten or twenty. If your puppy comes around to face you, simply ignore him and continue counting, then return to the game. Continue this until the puppy no longer tries to bite you.
There are lots of behaviors that dog owners try and stop at an early age – namely, doing their business where they aren’t supposed to (on your carpet), chewing up your favorite shoes or the legs of your coffee table, barking incessantly at everything that moves, and forsaking your game of fetch in order to chase after birds at the park. However, one type of behavior absolutely must be curbed in order to maintain a happy and healthy life with your dog, and that is dog biting.
One simple exercise that will help you prevent your dog from biting is to expose your dog to different types of situations, places and people. This way the dog will get used to new situations and it will help not to get nervous at the sight of a stranger or place.
Monitor and observe your dog. Teach him his proper place in the ‘pack’ hierarchy. Eliminate the triggers of aggression. Double check that your homeowner’s policy provides dog bite insurance and hope that your dog never bites someone.