Dog Training Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your dog training business is essential.
Dog training businesses need to be protected against claims of things like misrepresentation, negligence, and torts such as battery or intentionally inflicting emotional distress.
For example, you are accused of making false statements regarding the effectiveness of your training programs, or a client claims that your training methods caused their dog distress.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Dog Training Business
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for dog training businesses.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
Dog training businesses often use several policies in addition to general liability, such as:
- Professional liability insurance
- Commercial auto insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial umbrella insurance
It’s worth being aware that insurance providers are often one of two distinct types:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — These providers (such as The Hartford and Nationwide) are known for their long history in the industry, plus their physical storefronts and insurance agents. However, they are also renowned for the higher costs they charge as a result of their higher overheads.
- Online insurers — This second group of providers (which includes the likes of Tivly and Next), are known for being quite young in the industry, and typically focus primarily on their online efforts and AI to offer quotes to customers.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, dog training businesses in America spend between $300 - $700 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a dog training business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Dog Training Business
Example 1: During a training session at your place of business, a dog owner trips on some uneven ground, breaks an arm in the resulting fall, and demands your business pay for her medical treatment. General liability insurance would pay for her medical care.
Example 2: A competitor files a lawsuit against your business, claiming you libeled her company in your last marketing campaign. General liability insurance would cover your legal defense costs.
Example 3: While conducting a dog training session at a client’s home, you walk through the living room, trip over his cat, and fall into his entertainment center. The client demands you replace his broken equipment. General liability insurance would cover the cost of replacing the client’s damaged property.
Other Types of Coverage Dog Training Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Professional Liability Insurance
While you work hard on behalf of your clients and their dogs, there’s always a chance someone might claim your professional services caused them harm. If a customer claims you made a mistake — whether you actually made an error or not — and sues you, professional liability insurance would cover your legal fees and any required settlement.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Any vehicle you use primarily for business requires commercial auto insurance to protect the vehicle, driver, and others on the road in the event of an accident. Be sure to select a policy that covers not only accident-related vehicle repair costs and medical treatment for anyone injured but also sufficient protection for any business materials you carry in your vehicle.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Most states require businesses to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their part-time and full-time employees. This coverage protects your employees if they become injured at work or fall ill after a work-related accident. It not only covers an employee’s medical bills and lost wages if they need time to recover but also any disability or death benefits stemming from a work-related accident.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
While your general liability insurance policy covers most claims, some accidents or lawsuits may be so catastrophic that they threaten to exhaust the limits of your primary coverage. Commercial umbrella insurance protects you from paying out-of-pocket for any legal fees and awarded damages that exceed your primary policy.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your dog training business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Dog Training Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes, for dog training businesses in particular, it is especially important that they acquire adequate business insurance before their operations commence in order to remain safe from the financial impacts of the many risks they can face.
What’s more, insurance is not always merely a good suggestion, as in some cases may be a legal prerequisite to be able to launch your dog training business if specific policies are required.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your dog training business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.