Why do dog trainers and pet behaviourists need insurance?
A training injury
Things can be busy for a dog trainer, whether you’re teaching basic commands to animals with behaviour issues or preparing a talented terrier for a competition. If an owner becomes injured tripping over a stray lead, falling on weave poles or has their smart phone smashed during your dog protection class, you could be held liable. When you run a dog training club, there might be just as many owners as furry friends – public liability insurance can help if someone claims for an injury sustained during your session.
Dog behaviour deterioration
When a dog is brought to you to with behavioural issues, your expertise and professional services are relied upon. Thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations, your new customers know their pet is in good hands. Pet behaviour can be unpredictable, however, so an owner might say there were faults in your work if their pooch doesn’t make the desired transformation. When a client says your obedience training with a boisterous beagle has made their behaviour worse, they could begin proceedings citing professional negligence. Professional indemnity insurance can help a dog trainer with the defence and settlement of such a claim.
Damaged equipment
Agility classes are a popular offering at your dog training school – and you have a full complement of equipment to help your clients enjoy a great service. If your tunnels, pause tables, bar jumps or see-saws are damaged, lost during your travels or stolen from your locked premises, it could be costly. Insurance for your business property, including portable equipment, can provide welcome backing for a dog trainer if you need to replace or repair vital kit.
What insurance is available for dog trainers and behaviourists?
Public liability insurance
The famous phrase states that you should “never work with children or animals”, but with liability insurance in place, a dog trainer and behaviourist can have reassurance to work with even the most unpredictable of clientele. Accidents are always a possibility in public-facing roles. Someone might fall over your agility equipment and break their arm, or a dog you’re training might damage another client’s expensive handbag. If a member of the public claims they’ve been injured or their property has been damaged due to your business activities, public liability insurance can help cover legal costs and compensation payments.
Professional indemnity insurance
As a pet behaviourist or dog trainer, people come to you for your specific expertise – professional indemnity insurance steps in to help if a client says you’ve made a mistake. They might claim your agility sessions were too strenuous and caused an injury that required treatment from the vet, or that a series of dog protection training sessions didn’t teach their pup the appropriate commands. Indemnity insurance can help you defend and settle professional negligence claims by paying for legal costs and also assist with getting your reputation back on track with the help of PR experts.
Property insurance
Safeguarding the kit you need to teach obedience, lead group classes and one-to-one agility sessions enables you to work and maintain your reputation. Our combined property insurance, or office cover, is a policy that brings together several products to help protect small pet behaviourist businesses such as yours. This policy includes cover for the premises you work within, plus insurance for equipment breakdown. You can include cover for portable kit you take out and about as a useful add-on. If you experience damage to your premises or equipment, this cover can help too.
A dog trainer might choose to tailor their policy with other cover types, including personal accident insurance, cyber cover and legal protection. Employers’ liability insurance may also be required by law (external link) if you employ other pet behaviourists at your dog training club.
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Get a quoteInsurance for dog trainers and behaviourists: FAQs
Do you need insurance as a dog trainer?
A dog trainer may find they need insurance – especially if they were unable to fund legal proceedings or pay compensation sums without it.
Employers’ liability insurance is legally mandated (external link) for most UK businesses with staff – so if you employ another dog trainer at your training club, you may need a policy.
Other insurance products can offer financial and reputational protection for a small business or self-employed dog trainer. A public liability policy might be a key consideration, while professional indemnity insurance can assist if a client claims you’ve made a mistake.
Additionally, portable equipment cover can help to repair or replace key training items.
What credentials should a dog trainer have?
In the UK, a dog trainer doesn’t need official qualifications. However, to be an expert in the field, there are many courses and CPD options you should consider.
For instance, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (external link) (APDT) offers a range of courses, resources and carry out official APDT member assessments.
It’s also becoming more common for respected dog trainers and pet behaviourists to have diplomas, undergraduate degrees or graduate degrees in animal behaviour.
Having a comprehensive understanding of certain laws may also be helpful, including:
- The Animal Welfare Act (2006)
- Dangerous Dogs Act (1991, 1997)
- The Dogs Act (1871, 1906, 1953)
- The Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014)
- The Animals Act (1971)
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