Guard Dog Business Insurance

Getting insurance for your guard dog business is essential.

Guard dog businesses need to be protected against things like claims of personal injury, property damage, and animal cruelty.

For example, your guard dog business is accused of neglecting the dogs it owns, or one of your dogs causes excessive harm to a person.

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 Guard Dog Business

General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for guard dog businesses.

Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:

Bodily injury
Property damage
Medical payments
Legal defense and judgment
Personal and advertising injury

If you intend to enhance the coverage of general liability with some extra policies, you can’t go wrong with the following options:

Product liability insurance: A crucial policy that protects your business from claims related to any damage or injuries caused by your dogs while providing security.
Commercial property insurance: Provides your business with financial assistance to repair or replace physical assets damaged by certain threats. This could include dog kennels, buildings, and equipment among other things.
Workers’ compensation insurance: Grants employees financial compensation in the event they are injured or become ill at work. This is particularly important when working with live animals.

One of the most important characteristics of an insurance provider to pay attention to when shopping for business coverage is the type of insurer they are. There are two principal types:

Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Firms characterized by the rental of business spaces and hiring of insurance agents. This business model often results in higher prices for customers due to the higher cost of operation.
Online insurers — Firms characterized by pure online operation. This approach enables such firms to offer more affordable prices as they aren’t as costly to run.

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Cost of General Liability Insurance

On average, guard dog 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 guard dog 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.

Find the Best Rate

Discover the best coverage at the lowest rate in our affordable business insurance review.

Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Guard Dog Business

Example 1: When a potential customer visits your property to choose a new guard dog, a dog still in training bites them. The bite leads to several doctor visits and may require surgery. General liability insurance would cover the customer’s medical bills and your legal fees in the event of a lawsuit.

Example 2: While your new website helps boost business, your web designer used a copyrighted photo and the photo’s owner sues you for copyright infringement. General liability insurance would pay for your legal fees and any resulting payout (up to the limits of your policy).

Example 3: During the night, one of your rented dogs causes damages to your client’s business and the client holds you responsible. General liability insurance would cover the cost to repair and/or replace any damaged property.

Other Types of Coverage Guard Dog 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:

Product Liability Insurance

Your customers hire you to deliver a guard dog that meets their particular needs. If, for some reason, you don’t meet those needs and an incident occurs, they could look to you for reparations. Product liability insurance offers coverage if a customer claims the “product” you sell caused them harm.

You can purchase product liability coverage — tailored to your business’ specific needs — as part of a business owners policy (BOP).

Commercial Property Insurance

If you own the building in which you operate, you’re responsible for all business-related property housed there in the event of a fire, burglary, or natural disaster. Commercial property insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing your building and its contents after an accident so you can recover quickly.

You can purchase this coverage as part of a business owners policy (BOP).

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Even the most highly trained employees face a risk of injury when working with dogs, making this coverage essential. 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.

While many states allow business owners to exclude themselves on their workers’ compensation policy, consider skipping this option if you plan to participate in your business’ daily operations.

You can purchase this coverage as a standalone policy.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Any vehicle you or your employees 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 vehicles. Also consider purchasing coverage higher than the state-mandated minimum coverage to safeguard your business from the unexpected.

You can purchase commercial auto insurance as part of a business owners policy (BOP) or as a standalone policy.

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 guard dog 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.

Guard Dog 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.

Due to the inherently risk-prone nature of a guard dog business, being proactive in obtaining business insurance is key if you want to best shield your business from the financial consequences of these liabilities.

In fact, it is highly likely that at least a few insurance policies (e.g., commercial auto and workers’ compensation insurance) will be obligated for your business by law.

Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your guard dog 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.