Do I Need Insurance to Be a Dog Trainer in the UK?

If you're starting out as a dog trainer, insurance is one of those things that quickly lands on the to-do list.

But, do you legally need insurance to be a dog trainer?

Not necessarily.

If you're self-employed and working alone, there isn't a blanket law requiring you to hold public liability insurance simply because you're a dog trainer.

But legal requirement and sensible business practice aren't quite the same thing.

• Dogs bite.

• Clients fall over.

• Leads break.

• Dogs escape.

• Things get damaged.

…sometimes people make claims even when you don't think you've done anything wrong.

If you're going to work professionally with dogs and their owners, appropriate insurance should be pretty high on your list.

What insurance does a dog trainer need?

Well, there isn't one universal “dog trainer insurance” policy that every trainer needs. What matters is what your policy actually covers.

For most UK dog trainers, there are three types of cover worth understanding pretty immediately and then some more nuanced bits. So, the simple ones first…

1. Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance protects your business against claims involving injury to a member of the public or damage to their property resulting from your business activities. UK government business guidance recommends considering it when you work directly with the public, visit clients or have clients visit you.

Imagine:

• A client trips over a long line during your class.

• A dog you're working with pulls someone over.

• You accidentally damage something during a home visit.

• Someone alleges they were injured because of something that happened during your session.

Those are the kinds of things that public liability insurance is designed to help with.

It might not be legally compulsory for a self-employed trainer, but some training venues and organisations may insist you have it before they'll work with you.

2. Care, Custody and Control

This is the bit dog trainers should pay particular attention to in my opinion, but most don’t.

What happens if something happens to the dog?

Suppose you're holding a client's dog and it escapes, or the owner leaves the dog with you for training and it becomes injured. You’re using a stooge dog and a dog fight breaks out.

Don't automatically assume your basic public liability cover deals with this.

Specialist pet-business policies can (and should) include separate Care, Custody and Control protection for animals that are lost, injured, become ill or die while in your care.

The exact cover varies between policies, but now you know the question to ask.

This becomes particularly important if you:

• handle clients' dogs yourself,

• work with dogs without their owners present,

• offer day training,

• transport dogs,

• or offer residential training.

One very useful question to ask your insurer is: “What happens if a client's dog is injured, lost or dies while it is in my care?”

Get an answer on this and get it in writing.

3. Professional Indemnity Insurance

Dog trainers don't just handle dogs.

We give advice. Professional indemnity insurance is designed to protect businesses against claims that their professional advice, work or services caused a client financial loss.

For a dog trainer, that could potentially become relevant if someone alleges that your professional advice caused a problem or contributed to an incident.

So ask your insurer whether the policy covers the training and behavioural advice you provide, rather than simply accidents occurring during a session.

As I mentioned previously, there are some more nuanced areas to pay attention to…

What if I employ someone?

Then things change.

If you become an employer, Employers' Liability insurance will generally be legally required.

In Great Britain, employers normally need at least £5 million of cover from an authorised insurer. GOV.UK also warns that businesses required to have it can be fined £2,500 for every day they are not properly insured.

So when your business grows beyond just you, revisit your cover – even if this is not paid staff, volunteers and helpers count too.

What about using my car?

If you're driving to clients, classes or other locations as part of your work, make sure your motor insurer knows how the vehicle is being used for work miles. I know it might seem daft but insurers do not treat driving to and from work, the same as driving for work.

In addition, if you're transporting clients' dogs, you need to tell them that too.

Don't assume your existing personal car policy automatically covers every part of your dog training business – it almost certainly wont.

So, do I need insurance to be a dog trainer?

Legally? Not always.

If you're a self-employed dog trainer working alone, public liability insurance isn't generally compulsory simply because you're a dog trainer.

Professionally? We'd strongly recommend having appropriate cover.

For most trainers, that means at least investigating:

• Public Liability

• Care, Custody and Control

• Professional Indemnity

• Employers' Liability insurance

• Motor Insurance

Thinking about becoming a dog trainer?

Insurance is only one piece of the puzzle, ive no doubt your brain is full of questions like…

Do I need a licence to be a dog trainer?

Do I need a degree to be a dog trainer?

What equipment do I need to become a dog trainer?

How much do dog trainers earn?

…and much more.

…and as you’ll have figured out by now, becoming a professional dog trainer isn't just about being good with dogs.

You also need to understand the business you're building around them and the industry your business sits within.

Want to become a better dog trainer?

At the School of Canine Science, we provide online education for over 25,000 dog trainers and behaviour professionals who want to understand not just what works, but why it works and how to do it.

From learning theory and training mechanics through to behaviour, cognition and professional development, our courses are designed to help trainers turn their dog trainer dream into a achievable reality.

This article provides general information for UK dog trainers and isn't legal or insurance advice. Insurance policies, exclusions and individual circumstances vary, so always discuss your exact business activities with an appropriate insurer or broker.