- In Germany, there are two types of pet insurance: pet liability insurance and pet health insurance.
- Pet liability insurance is usually required by law in Germany. In some federal states, it is mandatory for so-called dangerous breeds; in others, this insurance must be taken out for all dogs.
- With dog health insurance, you can choose between basic rates for surgical treatments and comprehensive coverage.
- Numerous pet insurance companies offer dog insurance, each with unique benefits and costs. By comparing different providers and policies, you can make an informed decision.
- For ex-pats in Germany, we particularly recommend the policies of the digital insurers Feather, Getsafe, and Lassie. All three providers offer dog health and liability insurance with excellent benefits, affordable prices, and bilingual service in German and English.
Understanding Dog Insurance in Germany
To make an informed insurance decision, you should know what dog insurance policies are available in Germany and how they work.
What is dog insurance?
Dog insurance policies in Germany protect dog owners against liability claims and veterinary costs. Thus, there are two types of dog insurance:
- Dog liability insurance: This insurance covers damage caused by your dog to third parties. It is compulsory in some federal states of Germany and for some dog breeds. Even if your dog is not subject to mandatory insurance, this insurance is highly recommended to protect you against financial risks reliably.
- Dog health insurance: In Germany, pet health insurance is voluntary. However, as a dog owner, you should not do without this insurance, as veterinary costs for more complex diagnostic procedures and therapies can quickly add up to several hundred or even several thousand euros.
Dog Liability Insurance
What is Dog Liability Insurance?
Dog liability insurance covers personal injury, property damage, and financial losses that your dog causes to third parties. As a dog owner, you are liable for the monetary compensation of such damages without limit.
Damages caused by dogs are not always minor damage that can be easily settled. In the case of complex property damage, particularly personal injury, you may be liable for high compensation claims. Personal injury is particularly critical here. Without dog liability insurance, you would have to pay for all medical treatment, loss of earnings, and, in the worst case, a lifelong pension payment after an accident or in the event of injury.
Dog liability insurance protects you from such financial risks and offers passive legal protection in case of a claim: the insurance company defends you against unjustified claims for damages. It bears the costs of a legal dispute.
Unlike dog health insurance, dog liability insurance does not have waiting periods — coverage begins when the contract is concluded.
Private or personal liability insurance covers damages you or others in your household cause to third parties. The insurance also covers damages caused by cats and other small animals. However, damages caused by dogs are generally excluded from this insurance coverage.
Dog liability insurance — often compulsory
Whether dog liability insurance is mandatory depends on which German federal state you live in:
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the only federal state without legal requirements for dog liability insurance.
- All dogs must be insured in Berlin, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt.
- In all other federal states, mandatory insurance applies to dangerous breeds. The federal states determine independently which dog breeds are included in this category.
Benefits of dog liability insurance
Before taking out a dog liability policy, you should compare offers from different insurers and thoroughly research the insurance conditions.
A good dog liability insurance should offer the following benefits:
- Explicit coverage of financial losses that are not directly related to personal injury or property damage
- Damage to rented properties (including hotels and vacation apartments)
- Insurance coverage for violations of owner obligations, such as the leash requirement
- If necessary: Co-insurance of damages caused by puppies (“puppy protection clause”)
- Worldwide coverage
If your dog causes damage to you or persons living in your household, dog liability insurance does not cover it. This includes situations where your dog damages your property or injures you or a family member. As a rule, you have to bear such losses, as they are also not covered by personal liability or household contents insurance.
Pet Health Insurance
The second essential insurance for your dog is a pet health insurance policy that covers treatment costs for accidents and illnesses.
What is Pet Health Insurance?
Pet health insurance covers medical expenses, routine check-ups, and vaccinations. You can choose between surgery-only tariffs and a full health insurance policy for your pet.
Pet health insurance is not mandatory in Germany, but it does provide reliable protection against high medical expenses for your pet.
Insurance exclusions and waiting periods
Your pet’s pre-existing conditions are generally excluded from insurance coverage. Chronically ill animals usually cannot be insured.
In addition, most insurers set an age limit for their pet health insurance. You also pay lower premiums for younger dogs.
Dog health insurance cover includes only medically necessary operations and therapies. Many insurers exclude neutering, which is used solely to prevent offspring. Not all pet insurers and tariffs cover preventive measures such as dental care, vaccinations, and deworming.
Pet health insurance has waiting periods before covering medical expenses. Many insurers have a general waiting period of three months. However, waiting periods of up to twelve months may apply for certain illnesses.
Dog Health Insurance Options
You can choose between different insurance options for your dog’s health insurance. However, there are a few other criteria to consider when selecting a good plan.
Types of Dog Health Insurance
You can get a surgery-only policy for your dog at a particularly affordable price. This type of policy only covers surgical treatment.
On the other hand, comprehensive health insurance covers a wide range of non-surgical treatment options and surgery.
Criteria for good dog health insurance rates
The benefits of the various plans can differ significantly, both for surgery plans and comprehensive insurance. The following criteria are particularly important for a good plan:
- In addition to diagnostics and the actual operation, surgery insurance should also cover follow-up treatment, including accommodation in a veterinary hospital, medication and pharmaceuticals, tooth extractions, and root canal treatments.
- Most insurers offer comprehensive insurance plans with a range of coverage levels. Premium plans typically cover your dog’s medical expenses without any limits. By contrast, lower-priced plans often have annual caps on what they cover.
- When you choose a plan, you should ensure that preventive care is included. Most insurers offer annual packages for this.
- The chosen plan should support all rates of the Veterinary Fee Schedule. Veterinarians bill for their services according to four different fee rates. Which fee rate is applied depends on the difficulty and urgency of the treatment and various practice-related factors.
Combining Dog Insurance Policies
You can buy dog insurance as an individual policy or as combined insurance. There are various advantages associated with combined insurance, but when selecting it, it is advisable to check the benefits carefully.
Benefits of Bundling Dog Insurance
Combined policies include dog liability insurance and dog health insurance. This provides comprehensive insurance coverage for your dog.
The main advantage of dog insurance is that all insurance benefits are bundled in one place. Bundling policies can also lead to discounts and cost savings.
Before deciding on a combination policy, you should carefully review each policy’s terms and conditions before combining them. This form of dog insurance only makes sense if both policies offer you and your dog the best possible range of services.
Insurance for multiple dogs
You must take out separate insurance for each dog if you own more than one dog. Most insurers offer discounts for the second and each additional dog. Again, you should consider whether combined insurance is possible for your dogs, which can result in further savings.
Evaluating Dog Insurance Providers
Many insurance companies in Germany offer pet insurance. Getsafe and Feather are two popular dog insurance providers offering various policies. Lassie also offers high-performance insurance policies for dog owners.
All three insurance providers offer their customers dog health and liability insurance, so combined insurance is possible. They provide their services fully digital and in German or English. You can claim insurance benefits directly in the mobile app, online, or by email.
However, dog owners should always compare different providers to find the best fit for their needs and budget. Factors to consider when evaluating providers and tariffs include coverage, excess, maximum reimbursement amounts, and the insurer’s reputation.
Cost of Dog Insurance
Factors Affecting the Cost of Dog Insurance
The cost of German dog insurance can vary considerably. For example, pet health insurance costs for a 2-year-old medium-sized dog can be several hundred euros per year or more than a thousand euros. The annual costs for dog liability insurance are significantly lower, but there are also significant price differences between the various insurers.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Dog Insurance
- Breed, size, and age of your dog
- Type of the policy — i.e., surgical or comprehensive coverage of pet health insurance, combined dog health and liability insurance
- Coverage Limits
- Deductibles
The monthly premiums and the included services determine the price-performance ratio of dog insurance. Comparing different offers allows you to find an optimal rate in both dimensions.
Choosing the Right Dog Insurance Policy
There is no single answer to the best dog insurance policy. The deciding factor for your selection is your requirements and the budget you have available for your pet insurance. Some tips can help you find the right dog insurance policy.
Tips for Selecting the Best Policy
- Value for money: The price of the plan should correspond to the services included.
- Coverage: Surgery-only rates are significantly cheaper than full health insurance for your dog. However, before deciding on this, you should remember that other medical treatments can incur high costs that you must bear yourself without pet health insurance.
- Deductible: In pet health insurance, you can choose between deductibles of varying amounts or full coverage from all insurers. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium. However, the deductible you pick should correspond to your available budget.
- Exclusions: Pet health insurance providers do not cover pre-existing conditions and medically unnecessary treatments. However, you should ensure that there are no other exclusions – for example, for preventive or dental care – that prevent your dog from receiving the best possible treatment at no additional cost.
- Benefit Limitations: Some health insurance plans have annual maximum limits on the amount of medical expenses covered. These limits should be set at a level that gives your dog a realistic chance of receiving the best medical care without incurring high additional costs.
These aspects are about the real coverage of your plan. Thus, dog owners should carefully review the policy terms and conditions to understand what is covered and what is not.
Pet Liability Insurance Considerations
The sum insured for dog liability insurance should be at least €5 million. Suppose the insurer does not offer flat-rate cover but provides separate sums insured for financial losses and rental property damage. In that case, economic losses should be insured for €50,000 and rental property damage for at least €300,000.
A deductible is generally not provided for in dog liability insurance.
Conclusion
With dog health insurance and dog liability insurance, you get comprehensive coverage for your dog. These policies protect you from high veterinary costs and the financial consequences of damage caused by your dog.
You can purchase both dog insurance policies individually or – often with cost advantages – as a combined policy.
When choosing the right tariff, you should consider the insurance provider’s reputation and customer service.