Why do dog trainers need insurance?
As a dog trainer, your clients trust you with their much-loved fur babies. Naturally, you will want to make sure you do the upmost to ensure the safety of your clients, their pets, and your business. That's why having the best insurance for dog trainers is crucial, and important to get right.
Causing an injury to a person or dog
While providing dog training services, accidents can happen. Perhaps a dog bites another client or sustains an accidental injury during a training session. The potential for injuries is a real risk and concern.
Causing Property Damage
As much as we love our furry friends, dogs can be unpredictable, and property damage can occur during training sessions. An unruly dog jumps in the road and a car has to swerve to avoid the collision. The consequent damage could be laid at your feet.
Commercial disputes
As a dog trainer you often work at public spaces such as parks. You may find yourself at legal odds with a local authority over the usage of public spaces when you carry out your work.
Dissatisfied customers
Despite your best efforts, some clients may express dissatisfaction with the dog training services you provide. They might accuse you of using inappropriate training methods or not making a difference. In return they might attempt to sue for compensation.
Professional indemnity insurance for dog trainers
As a professional dog trainer, you know what makes our canine friends tick, how to bring out their best and discourage undesirable behaviour. But you’ll also know that no two dogs are the same - and nor are their owners. That’s why protecting yourself from potentially tricky situations when something goes wrong is a crucial step when it comes to starting a business.
Professional indemnity insurance for dog trainers is uniquely designed to protect the specific risks you’ll face. It covers legal costs and damages if a client makes a money claim against you because your training methods or practice has brought no results, caused upset or led to property damage.
Professional indemnity insurance will make sure that if you do receive that dreaded letter from your client’s solicitor, your finances stay protected and you have somewhere to turn for advice and legal representation.
What does dog training professional indemnity insurance cover?
Professional indemnity insurance covers a variety of legal scenarios stemming from accusations that what you did as a dog trainer was professionally wrong.
Cover includes:
- Failing your duty of care
- Causing harm
- Giving the wrong advice or recommendation
- Being negligent
For example you may be asked to compensate because:
- They believe you treated their dog inappropriately
- The advice you gave led to more problems resulting in an injury or property
- Your services have made no difference or made behaviour worse
Switching your professional indemnity insurance
Typically, in the UK, if you cancel a professional indemnity policy, you can no longer claim against it.
Therefore, if you switch your dog trainer insurance provider, be sure your new policy covers your past work; this is called “retroactive cover”.
Should I keep professional indemnity insurance if I pause my dog training activities?
It’s wise to keep your professional indemnity if you’re taking a break or retiring from dog training. Claims against professional misconduct can surface months or years after you delivered the work.
Remember: If you cancel your policy, your insurance coverage will end, including coverage for any previous work.
How long you keep your cover in place is up to you. Consider the type of dog training you did and the likelihood that a client might bring a claim against you.
Public liability insurance for dog trainers
Every dog trainer needs public liability insurance. It provides legal protection against claims of causing bodily injury or property damage that may arise during your training sessions.
Public liability insurance for dog trainers will pay for legal defence and compensation if you are found liable.
What does public liability insurance for dog trainers cover?
If a client visits your premises and sustains an injury, you could be found responsible. If you provide do trainers services at someone’s home or other premises, there’s always the risk that you could cause damage during your visit.
Cover includes:
- accidental injury or death
- accidental property damage
For example:
- A dog you’re in charge of jumps in front of a cyclist or a car which leads to an injury or property damage
- A dog you’re in charge of attacks another dog or person.
Other insurance dog trainers buy
The additional insurance requirements for dog trainers vary based on individual circumstances. Consider if you have the financial means to handle a legal dispute, if negative public relations could harm your business, and if you are prepared for a potential financial investigation by HMRC.
Commercial legal expenses
Most commercial legal expenses insurance will protect dog trainers against various tax and legal issues you may encounter due to your profession, which are not covered by professional indemnity or public liability.
At Suited, we combined £100,000 of commercial legal expenses insurance with helplines and other tools to better assist dog trainers in dealing with these issues. We call this Business Legal Protect, and it’s part of your subscription.
Business Legal Protect provides qualified advice and assistance with:
- Legal and tax matters concerning your business
- Criminal prosecution
- Commercial disputes
- Unpaid invoices (over £200)
For example:
- HMRC investigates your tax affairs
- You are facing a dispute with a local authority or property owner
- You need legal help chasing a significant unpaid invoice
- You’re being taken to court for breach of contract
Shopping for dog trainer liability insurance
Whether or not you decide to use Suited for your dog trainer insurance, it’s worth keeping the following in mind:
Cheap dog trainer insurance
When selecting dog trainer insurance, it's essential to keep in mind that the cost shouldn't be the sole determining factor. It's also critical to verify the provider's availability. At Suited, we take pride in our prompt responses to inquiries and provide numerous means of contacting us.
The reputation of the insurer is important
Insurance needs to be there when you need it most. The payout reputation of an insurer is essential. Suited uses financially sound insurers with an A+ rating.
Many providers charge fees to amend or cancel
Low initial prices often hide additional charges to pay monthly, amend or cancel your policy. At Suited, we charge no extra fees, and you can cancel anytime with no more to pay.
Some policy wordings are restrictive or have a high excess
Some providers will offer attractive prices, but it is at the expense of cover given. Suited professional indemnity and public liability have £0 excess.
