Homeowners Insurance....

Question:
Breed of dog?

Answer:
Mixed breed.

End of discussion.  Never give the bureacracy more information than they need - it will only confuse them.

Paula

Do you not carry renters insurance now?  That's the BEST place to start.  I carry a policy to replace my contents and a million dollars in liability and I pay about 118 a year.  The insurance company KNOWS that I have GSDs, and asked if they'd ever bitten anyone.  They haven't (I don't count Sheba biting a drunk who staggered into me and knocked me down as a bite.....nor do I count Thor crushing a couple of my fingers as a bite...he was trying to get back at Misty who was attacking him.....Misty being the crazed cocker!)  The insurance didn't NEED that info!!
 
Mixed breed sounds perfect to me....but start with renters insurance now to protect yourself and when you OWN it's easy to change the policy, and you already have a history with the insurer.

I work for an insurance agency....my boss (a long-time friend and she knows my dog will never be placed in a situation where biting is necessary) turns a deaf ear.
She knows I had a GSD prior, and another now.
She marks "mixed breed" on my paperwork and simply says "I see nothing"
If you KNOW your dog is not going to bite anyone don't even go there is what she says.
Leave it as "mixed breed" and move on as long as you are 100% certain it will never be an issue.

In honesty, it all depends on your state and the company and underwriter.  Please don't depend on an agent turning a blind eye -- it doesn't always happen (I'm a former insurance agent and I'm well versed in property/casualty).
 
Honestly, your best bets are two:
 
1.  Glenda is right -- get the dog covered NOW with renter's insurance - then you have a "history" of NO claims.
 
2.  Go ahead and get written recommends, but since you've got a year train her and GET her Canine Good Citizen certifiecate.  Go to the AKC.org website and they have a whole section on it.  It's not hard -- it's just basic stuff.  If she's never done obedience DO IT NOW.  Please.
 
Then you have this paper with the AKC behind it (and they don't give this away -- the dog and you EARN it -- it is tested!) that says your dog is simply a good dog with people and others.  If you are training towards the CGC you will work on that shyness and with the help of a good obedience trainer you will deal with it, she'll be more comfortable and you will be doing the responsible and forward-thinking thing. 
 
It's not hard -- it's just basic stuff like sit, letting a stranger approach with YOUR permission and touching her, you and another 'stranger' approach with her on lead and you shake the stranger's hand and she just stays in a sit, then they add a dog to it and two people approach with their dogs and the dogs may be 'interested' but don't cross in front of their owners to 'get' at each other.  A long sit where you walk 20 feet away, she stays in the 'sit' and you return to her.  There are other things, but you train for them and they all can be overcome with some work. 
 
That CGC is invaluable and this is one of the ways the AKC is working to address the problem of insurance.  This gives you PAPER -- it gives you measurable proof that not only is your dog easy to be around, but YOU ... ****YOU**** have demonstrated you are a responsible owner -- you took the time to train, you took the initiative to make SURE your dog is a good 'citizen'.  It's beginning to carry some weight -- with neighbors if not just those who want 'paper'. 
 
Then, when you pass someone in your new neighborhood who says "OH IS THAT A PIT??????**GASP*" ...you say "she's a mix of heaven knows what, but OUR Sally has her Canine Good Citizen certificate from the AKC -- see that little yellow and blue tag on her collar?  She's pretty darned proud of that and so are we!!  She's had basic obedience yet, but we went on to make sure she had her CGC."

Question: Is that a Pit?
Answer: No, she's a mutt according to our vet.  Lots of breeds have brindle coloring.  Anyway, she's a pussycat - she even has her CGC.

Hi  I sell real estate and help lots of people with their insurance.  I also own lots of property. 
 
We have always had "mutts" and have never had to deal with them on any homeowners policy.  I live in Louisiana and maybe our laws are different, but I really have never heard of someone with a pet being required to include the dog liability in their policy.  I have sold homes to people with full breeds who never mentioned a thing about it. 
 
I would recommend you call an insurance company or you local real estate agent (who should be quite farmiliar with these types of laws) and see if this is something required or if its just something that you can add to your policy should you feel the need.  But from what you say it doesnt seem you think theres anything to worry about so I dont see where this should even come up at all when you buy a home.

I live in California and I've never had a problem either.  I can't even remember if they asked if we had dogs, but if they did, it was more like a checkbox kind of thing.  I've had the insurance on several different homes with several major agencies and no problems. 

List her as a mix and move on with life! The CGC reccomend is a GOOD one also...

I had to fight with insurance over my CHIHUAHUA so no one is safe...

For homeowners or renters?  I do not believe, unless its some crazy state law that most states do not have, that this is a requiremnt on a homeowner policy.

It really does vary from state to state.  A few states (too few) have passed laws that make it illegal for insurers operating within that state to raise premiums or refuse to issue a policy based on breed. 
 
[linkhttp://www.akc.org/insurance/pending_legislation.cfm]http://www.akc.org/insurance/pending_legislation.cfm[/link]

Louisiana has nothing of the sort, you can buy a home or rent, no one cares about pets being on any sort of policy. I dont even believe its come up at all by anyone during the whole buying process from offer to the closing.

Amy, trust me it's coming.  Particularly with all the storms and the tighening down of insurance (because no one wants to PAY out any claims).  So anything they can do to make it tougher to get, or to charge you more, it will happen.
 
And the big deal is that when it happens, most of the time people don't even know it is under consideration -- just suddenly it's THERE ... with virtually no options. 
 
It's only recenlty become a problem in Florida -- and I didn't know it WAS until suddenly we had to switch companies because of a glitch.  I was never so glad in my life that just for once we had done the right thing -- I had a boxer/pit mix that they wanted to tell me they wouldn't insure and I had proof a mile long that she had her CGC and volunteered a children's homes and Alzheimer's facilities every month -- and at that they couldn't very well give me a hard time because I had certificates proving her training.  And she was 16 1/2 at the time. 

ORIGINAL: loveukaykay
Louisiana has nothing of the sort, you can buy a home or rent, no one cares about pets being on any sort of policy. I dont even believe its come up at all by anyone during the whole buying process from offer to the closing.

 
Isn't that the truth. lol I've dealth with two different agencies, and only one asked if I had a dog. That's all they wanted to know. The other company could have cared less if I kept alligators in my bathtub.

I hope its not coming, that would be a pain.  As far as I know theres nothing in the works ... we do sometimes hear about these things when they are developing because it will effect our business, but not always.  That really seems rediculous all that crap you have to do with them just because you have a dog!  Anyway Ill be hoping that it all stays away from LA.  []