Alabamians argue a lot, over a lot of things — politics, college sports teams, and whether it’s stuffing or dressing.

But one thing many residents of the Yellowhammer State seem to agree on is dogs are great.

Recent studies by Forbes and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) show Alabama is a great place to be a dog owner and that dog ownership in the state is among the highest in the nation, while the cost of owning a dog among the lowest.

The AVMA reports Alabama has the 11th highest percentage of dog ownership, with 46.9% of households owning at least one canine. Idaho ranks first with 58.3% of households owning a dog, followed by Montana, Arkansas and Mississippi — the four states where dog ownership is greater than 50%.

Among dog-owning households, Alabama ranks fourth in number of dogs per home at 1.9, with only Mississippi, Montana and New Mexico higher.

For the record, cats aren’t nearly as popular in Alabama, with only 26.1% of households reporting owning a cat. That ranks 29th in the U.S.

But there are more great reasons to own a dog in Alabama. The state has among the lowest average costs to acquire a dog, ranking 9th in the nation with an average cost of $262.50, according to the Forbes study. That’s well below the national average of $319, and with the average among the top 10 most expensive states to acquire a dog sitting at $555.

That can include not only the dog, but the necessaries supplies and accessories (food, toys, bedding, etc.). (Of course, you can save money by doing what one AL.com writer and his wife do: let both dogs and the cat sleep on your bed.)

The Forbes study notes that the cost of bringing a dog into your home can vary based on whether the dog comes from a shelter or a breeder, where you live and even the gender of dog.

In Alabama, more dog owners acquired their pets from a breeder (28%), than from a shelter (23.5%). Another 24% said they were gifted a dog. Nationally, 23.8% say they were either gifted a dog or kept a stray.

When bringing a dog home, 64.5% of Alabama dog owners said they acquired a puppy, defined by Forbes as 0-2 years of age, with 28% saying their new friends were 3-5 years old when they brought them home.

The study also found 41% of Alabama dog owners said food is the most expensive recurring cost, with 21% saying vet bills were the most costly. Alabama was one of 37 states where dog food was the most expensive recurring cost of owning a dog.

Including Alabama, half of the 10 least expensive states to get a dog are located in the South, with Kentucky (2nd), Mississippi (3rd), Tennessee (4th), Louisiana (10th) joining Alabama in the top 10.

Neighboring Florida, however, falls in the other end of the survey, with the Sunshine State’s average cost to acquire a dog at $599.25, second highest in the nation behind only Delaware at $687.