What is dog insurance?

Dog insurance helps you cover the cost of veterinary treatment if your dog falls ill or gets injured.

It will also pay compensation costs if you’re taken to court for damages or injury your dog causes.  

We’ve analysed dog insurance policies to give you a shortcut to finding the best deal for your four-legged friend.

And for more on how to get the best products for your dog, check out Which?’s dog harness and dog food reviews.

• Find out more: our individual pet insurer reviews

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Types of dog insurance

There are three main types of policies that cover dogs:

To find out more about what pet insurance covers and what’s likely to be excluded, read our guide on pet insurance explained.

What are the best dog insurance policies?

There are a vast number of dog insurance policies on the market, making it tough to figure out which is right for your pooch.

Each table relates to a type of dog insurance policy (see explanations above). Policies are ranked by policy score, which is our rating of the comprehensiveness of cover offered by the policy.

Select a table:

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Annual lifetime cover policies (1-30)

Tables last updated in November 2022 – check policies before buying.

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How can I save money on dog insurance?

Here’s how to stop your four-legged friend from emptying your wallet:

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1. Find out the needs of your dog breed

According to the Association of British Insurers, the average pet insurance claim paid in 2021 was £848. With increases in the costs of treatment, this figure has been rising recent years. Factoring in the possibility of you needing to make multiple claims, we wouldn’t recommend policies that would pay out less than £2,000 annually.

But all pets are different, which means it will pay to understand your dog’s needs to be sure you get adequate cover.

Dogs are generally more expensive to maintain (and insure) than cats, and certain breeds are more susceptible to chronic conditions than others. For example, Labrador retrievers can be prone to cruciate ligament problems and dachshunds to back problems, both of which can set you back thousands of pounds in treatment costs.

Talk to your vet about common conditions and what level of cover they recommend.

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2. Buy insurance when your dog is healthy

This might seem counterintuitive, but as most policies exclude pre-existing conditions, buying early means you’re maximising the cover your pet will get.

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3. Make sure your dog is up to date on its jabs

Make sure your dog gets the appropriate inoculations and injections, including boosters, to minimise its chance of getting an illness that could lead to expensive premiums.

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4. Pay annually (if you can afford it)

Paying monthly usually means you’re also paying interest and this can be surprisingly expensive.

5. Haggle at renewal 

If your insurer increases your dog’s premiums without good reason (for instance by claiming some routine treatment was an indication of an underlying condition), seek advice from a vet and complain.

• Find out more: how to find cheap pet insurance