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Why Dog Bites Are No Barking Matter, and How to Keep Your Rates Low.

June 29, 2016  |  Posted by Nick Peterson  |  4028 Views

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dog bites

Floridians have a reputation for loving all of the dogs. We should have been tipped off by the number of dog parks that have recently sprung up in droves like grass in July. In recent years, our fluffy friends are somehow no longer our pets, but have been dubbed our ‘fur babies,’ and no one wants to put baby in the corner.

However, where homeowners insurance is involved the only way to keep the rates down is to follow the rules of man vs. beast. Some standard markets will exclude liability altogether when a pet is involved, and some restrict coverage based on breed. MacNeill Group has a different outlook. The carriers that we partner with offer coverage on the terms that if a dog bite takes place, the policy will exclude that particular animal after the first occurrence.  We don’t want to lose our pets, and we certainly wouldn’t want to lose our coverage.

Here are 5 ways to prevent dog bites, because sometimes our sweet best friends can have a bad day just like the rest of us.

  1. Train your dog to listen on the first command. A distracted dog can be dangerous when dealing with other animals or children.
  2. Socializing from a young age can mean a world of difference when greeting new people.
  3. Guests, especially the children of your guests, should never be left alone with your dog.
  4. Build a fence or barrier between the outside of your house and where children are playing or other people are accessible to your dog.
  5. When walking your dog, make sure to keep it on a leash to ensure that you will have ample control of the situation.

An insurance inspector will be able to determine if proper safety measures have been taken, and ultimately that will be reflected in the insurance policy.

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