Once a dog bites someone , you should get rid of it unless you are positive it will NEVER do it again.

Here is a quick tip.

Don't feed the dog for one day. Water, but no food.

After that, every day/every meal let the dog eat food from your hand.

The only time the dog gets food is when it is calm and the only way the dog gets food is from gently eating from your hand.

If the dog does not cooperate - no food.

The dog will cooperate.

Then let others feed the dog this way. The first time they may want to be wearing a protecive glove of some kind.

Again, no cooperation - attitude - NO FOOD.

The dog will cooperate.

The dog will never bite a human again.

I had a similar situation occur. It had to do with obtaining a Homeowners Insurance Policy.
The question, do you have a dog? Response, yes. (thinking that a dog would help as far as protection for my house). Next question, what kind of dog? Response, Rottweiler.
The next thing I knew, I was denied insurance from that particular company!
After that experience, I never volunteer any information and hope that I'm not asked about my dogs.

BEEFjerKAY said:ifyouhavetoask said:Your first mistake was being honest with your insurance agent.
Nah. I'm guessing there's more to this story.

Actually, that is the entire story. It does appear that in this case, honesty was not the best policy. (pun not intended)

LordB said:I'm guessing if he was asking verbally that somewhere in the policy it says that dogs void said policy. In any case I would read any policy very carefully to make sure it covered dog incidents.
That is a good guess, but actually I was asking about adding some rental property to my homeowner's policy. So it was a surprise when the agent asked if I had a dog at my house...we weren't even talking about the insurance at my house.

Was there barking in the background? Anyways good luck getting new insurance... it is good to know and be aware of this as I have a dog (though he has never bit anyone).

I must say I am a bit surprised they canceled over a tiny dog... i don't see how such a small dog could even conceivably hurt someone for the amount of injury it would take for an umbrella policy to kick in. Though perhaps the ins company just doesn't want to go through the trouble of saying only dogs up to a certain weight are covered.

LordB said:I must say I am a bit surprised they canceled over a tiny dog...

Insurance primer on dog bite claims

FWIW, 2 separate biting episodes involving 2 different people is a big big problem.

Get a new insurance provider. Cheaper than getting another doggy.

tolamapS said:
IMO - and this is strictly my opinion - dogs such as pit bulls are too dangerous to be had as pets.

So the OP's shitzu that has repeatedly attacked people has more of a right to be a pet than a pitbull that has never attacked anyone?

Pitbulls can be trained to be aggressive, but they are not aggressive genetically. Laws against pitbulls are the same as laws against short-barrel shotguns and butterfly knives. A .45 handgun is ridiculously more deadly than a short-barrel shotgun but movies portrayed SBS as deadly so laws were made against them. Butterfly knives are slower to open than a regular spyderco folding knife, but they are illegal because movies and TV depict them as "deadly."

In "less civilized" countries laws are based on "God," and in "more civilized" countries, laws are based on Hollywood.

Every now & then, honesty isn't the best policy if you want an insurance policy.