Dog Breed Homeowners Insurance Exclusions: Which Carriers Cover Which Breeds (2026)
Last updated May 2026 · Rate Authority.
Dog Breed Homeowners Insurance Exclusions: Which Carriers Cover Which Breeds (2026)
According to Rate Authority’s carrier-disclosure analysis, US homeowners insurance dog-breed exclusions are not standardized. Pit bull, rottweiler, doberman, and wolf-hybrid coverage availability varies materially by carrier; State Farm, USAA, Amica, Allstate, and Farmers each handle the question differently.
The structural disclosure
Dog liability is the single largest non-property line on a standard homeowners insurance policy. Dog bites + dog-related injury settle for an average of $58,545 (Rate Authority, May 2026) per claim (per the Insurance Information Institute’s 2023 dog-bite claims report), and the loss frequency is high enough that carriers materially price + sometimes exclude specific breeds.
The exclusions are not statutory — they are underwriting decisions disclosed in carrier rate filings + underwriting manuals. Many state DOIs require carriers to disclose breed restrictions; coverage availability varies materially between carriers writing in the same state. No federal law prohibits breed-based homeowners-insurance underwriting, though a handful of states (Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York for certain bites, Nevada for service animals) have begun limiting breed-based denial in homeowners-insurance contexts.
Major-carrier dog-breed exclusion matrix (2026)
| Carrier | Pit bull | Rottweiler | Doberman | German shepherd | Chow Chow | Wolf hybrid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | State Farm’s structural policy: no breed exclusions; pricing + underwriting based on individual dog’s bite history. The most accommodating major carrier on this dimension. |
| USAA | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Restricted | Similar to State Farm on most breeds; wolf-hybrid coverage often restricted. Military-only eligibility. |
| Amica Mutual | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Restricted | Strong accommodation across most “restricted-list” breeds. |
| Allstate | Often excluded | Often excluded | Often excluded | Standard | Often excluded | Excluded | Allstate’s policy varies by state; breeds commonly excluded include pit bulls (incl. Staffordshire mix), rottweilers, dobermans, chows, wolf-hybrids. |
| Farmers | Often excluded | Often excluded | Often excluded | Standard | Often excluded | Excluded | Similar exclusion list to Allstate. State-by-state variability. |
| Liberty Mutual | Often excluded | Often excluded | Often excluded | Standard | Often excluded | Excluded | Standard exclusion list. |
| Nationwide | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Restricted | Closer to State Farm’s accommodating model than Allstate’s. |
| Travelers | Often excluded | Often excluded | Often excluded | Standard | Often excluded | Excluded | Standard exclusion list with state-level variation. |
| Chubb | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | Bite-history based | High-net-worth carrier; comprehensive coverage including most breeds for an underwriting fee. |
| Lemonade | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded | Standard | Excluded | Excluded | Direct-to-consumer carriers tend to have the most-restrictive exclusion lists. |
Important caveat: the matrix above is a national generalization. Carrier underwriting varies by state, and “bite-history based” carriers still apply scrutiny if the dog has a documented bite. Verify with your specific carrier in your specific state before assuming coverage.
The two core carrier policies
Model A — bite-history-based underwriting (State Farm, USAA, Amica, Nationwide, Chubb): the carrier does not exclude any breed by name. Underwriting + pricing is based on the individual dog’s bite history (or absence thereof). A pit bull with no bites + a temperament certification typically qualifies; a Labrador with two prior bites typically doesn’t.
Model B — restricted-breed list (Allstate, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, Lemonade): the carrier maintains a list of breeds that are categorically excluded from liability coverage, regardless of individual dog history. The list typically includes pit bulls (and Staffordshire bull terriers, American bullies, and Staffordshire mixes), rottweilers, dobermans, chow chows, Akitas, wolf-hybrids, and any dog with a documented bite history.
If you own one of the commonly excluded breeds, Model A carriers are the obvious starting point.
Per-breed pages
What happens if you have an excluded breed
Three paths if you own a commonly excluded breed and your current carrier excludes it:
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Switch to a Model A carrier — State Farm, USAA (if eligible), Amica, Nationwide, or Chubb (HNW tier) typically write the breed. This is the cleanest path.
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Standalone pet liability policy — a few specialty carriers (Einhorn Insurance, DogShield, XINSURANCE) write canine-liability standalone policies. Premium runs $200-$700/yr for $100K-$300K liability limits.
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Umbrella with explicit canine-liability endorsement — some umbrella carriers (Chubb, Pure, Vault) include canine-liability in the umbrella layer when the underlying homeowners excludes it. Verify coverage explicitly; don’t assume.
Methodology
Rate Authority’s dog-breed-exclusion matrix is sourced from (1) public state DOI underwriting-class disclosures, (2) carrier underwriting manuals available through state filings, (3) carrier-published FAQs + public disclosures, and (4) Insurance Information Institute claims-frequency data. Carrier policies change; verify with your specific carrier before relying on this matrix. Methodology: /methodology/rate-authority/.
Cite this analysis as:
Rate Authority. "Dog Breed Homeowners Insurance Exclusions: Which Carriers
Cover Which Breeds (2026)."
https://rateauthority.org/niches/dog-breed-homeowners-exclusions/Related: Florida Insurance Crisis Tracker · California Wildfire Insurance Tracker · Rate Authority Methodology
Per Rate Authority’s analysis of public regulatory filings as of May 2026, this page reflects the current insurance rate environment.
(Source: Rate Authority, May 2026.)
Rate Authority — daily-refreshed US insurance rate filings + market structure analysis. Free, CC BY 4.0.