My 8 month old puppy chewed a hole in my carpet. Can I put a claim into my homeowners insurance?

Answer 1

You will ned to check your Insurance Policy to see if you can claim. If you can't see any cover for damage done by pets, it's unlikely that you can claim but if you are lucky enough to have insured against damage done by pets, you can claim. Normally, you would have had to request this addition to your policy when you had first taken it out as it's rare that it is included in the standard policies that most insurers offer.

If you can't find it included, maybe the damage could have been done in another way other than by the puppy chewing it. If not, you will have to cut your losses and be prepared to contact your insurer and have pets included in the policy in case of future damage.

Answer 2

You probably have a deductible to consider. You will have to read your policy, or talk to your agent to find out if your policy covers this kind of damage. You should get a couple of estimates from reputable carpet stores to replace the carpet with something of similar quality, or repair it if that's possible. Regarding a repair, if you do not have a piece of the carpet leftover from the original installation, but you have a closet in the room, you can probably use the carpet from the close to make the repair, then replace the carpet in the closet with anything close to it, since that will not be as visible.

In the meantime, you have to deal with the dog. This will not be the last time. You should purchase (you can find them used) a large crate and crate train the dog when you are not home. Puppies will continue to chew until their teeth stop bothering them. Do not leave the dog free in the house when you are gone. Use a crate.
Good luck.
Be aware that if you claim this damage, it may cause your insurance rate to go up, which in the end will be more expensive than paying for this damage yourself. Ask your agent, if filing a claim will increase the cost of the policy, and by how much.

Answer 3

Wait!!!!!! Don't ever make a claim on your home owners insurance unless it's for a disaster for sure! The insurance company will up your rates exuberently and possibly cancel you. It's also really hard to get new insurance coverage when this happens. All companies are in it together. Is the area chewed the same carpet you might have in a closet? If so cut a piece to fit the chewed area from there or another inconspicuous place. I'm serious about involving your insurance.

Answer 4

Are you serious? First of all, a standard homeowner policy has a 500 dollar deductible. I'm sure a tiny little hole in your carpet isn't more than 500 dollars worth of damage. Secondly, if you do file a claim (which would be STUPID) you'd have a claim on your record and lose some discounts, and last (but not least) your homeowner rates will raise and if you file a claim you'll end up shelling out WAY more money than if you went to a carpet store and bought a little 1x1 foot square and re did it yourself.

Answer 5

The key to having lots of toys is to not leave them laying around (same for rawhides and bones). Make the chew toys into a type of treat. So let them play with them for a while, but then take the toy away and put it away. When you leave toys out all the time, the animal can become disinterested. By only giving them to the animal occasionally, the dog feels as if it has a whole new toy each time. Also, you should know, that labs are chewers. Even with the technique above, we had instances of items being chewed up. I'd come back to find half a sock on the floor but would never find the other half. I can only assume she digested the other half! Make sure you pick everything up so the animal cannot get to it. Yes, you will have to be responsible for your items. No offense, but it's not all the dogs fault if you know they are chewers. I had to make sure I never left socks or shoes outside of a closet as she would eat them! You may also want to crate train them so they won't be left to wander around at night. You should get rawhide or bully sticks. Bully sticks are more humane as they are digestible. Play and walk them to diffuse some energy and don't get too bored. And last, you definitely want to take them to some sort of training and learn how to train them yourself. I'm not sure which of the 2 breeds will be dominant when they get out of their puppy mode (which will be in about 2-3 years), but for your sake I hope it is the Lab. Labs loved to be trained while Husky's like to be trained on their terms only. Good luck!

Answer 6

You probably could (depends on your policy though, some companies exclude it), but I would get an estimate first. First of all, you need to check your homeowner deductible, if the damage doesn't exceed your deductible than it's not worth submitting it. Second, I always recommend that if you can float the repair cost yourself then you should. save your insurance for larger claims, chances are you have a company that if you submit 1 claim they raise your rates, if you submit 2 they cancel your policy. Get an estimate for the repair and make your decision after that.

Answer 7

Claims to homeowners insurance will raise your premiums, and possibly make you un-insurable in the future.

Your deductible is probably close to what it would cost for the carpet, and an increase in your rates will go on for years.

Also, multiple claims (even small ones) label you as a poor risk to the insurers -- and they may choose to drop you entirely or refuse you coverage at a future address.

Especially when it is considered 'negligence' (it wasn't storm or fire or flood damage), they may refuse to pay.

They also, even if they refuse payment, keep a record of the claim on file, and use it to justify classifying you as a higher risk. I think the phrase is 'frivolous' claims.

Answer 8

You could try, but they'll probably deny the claim.
If they don't deny it, your rates will go through the roof.
I'd recommend replacing the carpet on your own, but waiting until after the puppy becomes an adult.
You might want to look into crating your dog when you'll be gone for long periods of time.
My 9 month old puppy chews on everything. He's chewed through 4 harnesses within 2 weeks, costing me $100. I can't walk him without one, so I'm stuck trying to remember to take it off right after walks. *sigh*
BTW - ignore the morons who say to watch Cesar Milan. He's been denounced by the ASPCA and pretty much every other organization dealing with dogs because he teaches fear and aggression - which aren't good for your dogs. It'll backfire on you. Please ignore them!

Answer 9

No they will not accept the claim and if you do file a claim, whether or not they pay on it, it will make your insurance go up because you will have a record of filing a claim on your property. I would just fix the hole that the dog caused and move on.

Answer 10

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tr.im/J27jk

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.