Porche versus Polo

The cost of insuring your dog should be linked to the healthiness of the breed, says David Tomlinson, who advocates a ‘group’ system

- David Tomlinson

WANT TO INSURE A Porsche 911? You won’t be surprised to know that it will be expensive, as the 911 is in the highest insurance bracket, group 50. In contrast, a Ford Ka Plus, for example, along with certain models of the VW Polo, are in the lowest category, group one.

It might make dog insurance much simpler if the various breeds could be similarly categorised. This thought was prompted by reading that the average dog insurance claim paid out by the Insurance Emporium during 2018-2019 was £1,028, but for certain breeds the claim was much higher.

Leading the table with an average figure of £1,547 was the dogue de Bordeaux. This is a huge and powerful French mastiff. It only takes a glance at a dogue to appreciate that it is bound to be an expensive dog, not only to buy but also to run.

In the runner-up spot is the bulldog, on £1,308. Bulldogs are walking disaster zones, so physically flawed have they become. However, I did raise an eyebrow at the third-placed dog, the miniature short-haired dachshund. Its average claim is £1,274, a mere £5 more than the French bulldog, another unhealthy breed.