Dog and Pet Trainer Insurance

As a career, pet training can be both rewarding and challenging. Dogs and other pets have minds of their own and bring with them owners who don't always understand safety and obedience. These sometimes unpredictable creatures can be loving but misunderstood, and as a trainer, you strive to teach them skills that make them better "citizens." 

However, you face various dangers as a pet trainer, including bites and other injuries to you, injury to the pets, and unhappy clients. Due to the many negative possible outcomes of a training session, you need to have a dog and pet trainer insurance policy to protect you from lawsuits and other hefty losses. 

Luckily, a local independent insurance agent can help you find the right dog and pet trainer insurance. They'll get you matched to a policy that can help protect you from unexpected injuries, legal claims, and lawsuits. But first, here's a closer look at pet and dog trainer insurance, what it covers, and why it's necessary.

What Is Dog and Pet Trainer Insurance?

Dog and pet trainer insurance is designed to meet the needs of pet trainers, who are essentially owners of small businesses. Policies provide a combination of business insurance coverages that can protect trainers from many common risks, including injury and property damage to a third party, claims of negligence, advertising injury, and medical payments to physically injured parties. 

Without this coverage, dog and pet trainers could have to pay potentially hefty costs out of their own pockets in case of a lawsuit, commercial property damage, and other incidents.

Risks Involved in the Dog and Pet Trainer Industry

While many pet trainers have the pleasure of working with well-behaved dogs and other animals, this isn't the case for all training professionals 100% of the time. Aggressive dogs and other animals and upset customers and clients are a couple of major drawbacks of the pet training industry. 

Dog and pet trainers also face challenges like physical injuries, legal liabilities, and the cost of comprehensive insurance coverage. Pet trainers might get injured or ill due to customers' failure to maintain proper veterinary care of their animals or to keep aggressive pets on a leash when required. Some of the most costly risks to dog and pet trainers are:

Dog and pet trainer liability insurance is designed with these risks in mind. Coverage can help reimburse dog and pet trainers for expensive lawsuits, repairs to damaged property, and treatments for injured individuals.

Current Dog and Pet Stats for the U.S.

More than half of U.S. households — 66% or 86.9 million — currently own at least one pet. Of these pets, dogs are the most popular, followed by cats and freshwater fish. Here are some additional dog stats for the U.S.:

• Currently, 65.1 million U.S. households own a pet dog.
• Dogs cost their owners an average of $1,533 annually.
• The largest percentage of dog owners are Millennials at 33%, followed by Gen X at 25%, and Baby Boomers at 24%.
• As of 2024, there are 5,171 dog trainers in the U.S.
• The dog training industry generates $287.5 million in revenue per year.

Since dog ownership is so common in the U.S., the demand for dog trainers is quite high. This also means the risk of lawsuits, pet owner injuries, and other incidents is also considerably high. Fortunately, dog and pet trainer insurance addresses many of the most common risks associated with the job.

What Does Dog and Pet Trainer Liability Insurance Cover?

Lawsuits are one of the biggest risks dog and pet trainers face. As such, coverage to protect against expensive lawsuits is critical. When you look into dog and pet trainer liability insurance, it's a good idea to get quotes on these two main forms of coverage:

• General liability insurance: This covers you for bodily injury or property damage to third parties and possible lawsuits resulting from your business activities.
• Professional liability insurance: If you face allegations that your training was ineffective, improper, or produced a result that caused financial loss to another person, this insurance can protect you from major litigation expenses.

For trainers who own a facility and bring clients and their dogs inside for training sessions, general liability coverage is a must. If a client suffers a loss due to property damage or bodily injury, your insurance can cover these losses and related legal expenses up to the limit of your policy.

If you put a dog through socialization training and after being returned to its owner, it bites someone, you could face a situation where you need professional liability coverage. In case the incident leads to a claim against you, your professional liability insurance can protect you from large financial losses.

Additional Dog and Pet Trainer Insurance Coverages to Consider

The insurance coverage you need is dependent on how you operate. If you run a business with your own facilities, you need more coverage than a sole proprietor who does their training at the customer's location. Here are some additional coverage options for dog and pet trainers to consider:

• Commercial property insurance: This insurance compensates you if you sustain loss, damage, or destruction to the structure of your building or other business property, including tools, equipment, and inventory.
• Commercial auto insurance: This covers company vehicles against losses due to liability, damage, theft, vandalism, accidents, and more.
• Product liability insurance: This covers incidents of lawsuits arising from your products causing harm to your customers. 
• Workers' compensation insurance: This covers lost wages and medical expenses for employees who are injured or ill due to their job duties or work environment.
• Business interruption insurance: This provides a continued stream of revenue and pays ongoing expenses during covered temporary shutdowns caused by listed perils like fire damage.
• Cyber liability insurance: This covers costs associated with data breaches and cyber-attacks that may lead to customers' sensitive and private data, like credit card details, being exposed or sold without permission.
• Care, custody, and control coverage (CCC): This provides coverage if you offer boarding, grooming, and pet-sitting services against many incidents that can occur while a client's dog is in your care.

Keep in mind that pet and dog trainer insurance excludes coverage if you train dogs and other animals for attack, guard, or fighting purposes.

Why Care, Custody, and Control Coverage Is Important

Virtually all general liability policies exclude coverage for damage to property in your care, custody, and control. The legal system and the insurance industry classify pets, including dogs, as property, so this insurance is particularly important to consider.

Some companies that sell dog trainer insurance offer coverage for injury to dogs and other pets in your care, custody, and control for an additional premium. This coverage could be essential if you work with or board a number of animals at the same time. 

In some cases, it may be through a change to your general liability policy. In others, it could be through a special type of property policy known as an animal bailees insurance policy.

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How Much Does Dog and Trainer Insurance Cost?

The cost of dog and pet trainer insurance depends on your company's size and your activities. The premium for a sole proprietor doing basic training might cost several hundred dollars per year. 

The following criteria can impact dog and pet trainer insurance premiums:

The larger and more complex your dog or pet training business, the more expensive you can expect this coverage to be. However, an independent insurance agent can help you find the most affordable dog and pet trainer insurance near you.

An Independent Insurance Agent Can Help You Find Dog and Pet Trainer Insurance

When insuring your dog and pet training business, no one's better equipped to help you than an independent insurance agent. Because they're independent, these agents have access to multiple insurance companies, so they're free to shop and compare quotes and policy options for you. 

Ultimately, they'll present you with the options that offer the best blend of coverage and cost. And down the road, your agent can help file business insurance claims for you and update your coverage as your business evolves.