Some Good Reasons For Having Dog Pet Insurance

When you first get a dog, you will probably be told by several people that you need to buy dog pet insurance. However you may not be at all clear as to exactly why you need it, especially if you haven't owned a dog before and are aware of the situation.

If there is one reason for having dog pet insurance that you had already thought of, it is probably health insurance. That is, insurance to cover your vet's bills if your dog is sick, or injured in an accident. It's most unlikely that your dog will go through his whole life without a single disease or injury, and nowadays just one treatment can cost literally thousands of pounds. Dog pet insurance policies vary enormously as to what level of cover they provide for vet treatment, so you need to compare them carefully and see what best meets your needs.

However, there are several other reasons why it is important to take out dog pet insurance. Some of these may not have occurred to you if you haven't had a dog before.

• If your dog causes a motor accident, for instance by running out into the road, you will need insurance to cover you for legal advice and compensation payment. You are responsible for what your dog does, so the other party will sue you. If a serious injury is involved, the compensation could be huge.

• Similarly, you can be sued if your dog bites someone, e.g. a postal or other delivery worker, or a neighbour. Of course, you need to keep your dog under control and train him not to bite people, as it would also result in him being put down.

• If you have to be hospitalised and there is nobody to care for your dog, your dog pet insurance can pay for boarding kennels (if you have a policy that specifically includes this). The policy won't pay for putting your dog into kennels while you go on holiday! However, if you have booked a holiday and your dog is sick or injured at the last minute, preventing you from going, you can have a policy that covers the cost of cancelling your holiday.

• If your dog is lost or stolen, dog pet insurance can pay for advertising and rewards. Some policies will also cover replacement - some will even pay for bereavement counselling!

• If your dog is hard to control, is disobedient or has other behaviour problems, a dog pet insurance policy can pay for advice and help from a dog training expert or a dog behaviour therapist.

Of course, many of these things may never happen - and you certainly hope they won't. But sometimes they do, and it's a good idea to consider right at the outset how you would cope if any of these things did happen. There are a number of good reasons for having dog pet insurance, but the most important one of all is - peace of mind.