Oklahoma Ranks The Most Affordable State To Have A Dog

"I spend more on my dogs than I do myself!" At some point, every dog owner has said or thought that to themselves. But if you want to have the cheapest bill on your pets out of anywhere else in the country, looks like you'll want to do business in the sooner state.

@relaxandreclaim A friendly reminder that your dogs need a vacation sometimes too 😍 #petfriendly #travel #vacation #dogs #brokenbow #brokenbowoklahoma ♬ On My Mind x Heads Will Roll - switchdisco

How The Study Worked

Granted, more breeds are more expensive than others and it's hard to compare everyone's expenses when they're so varied. So, this study compared the cost of owning the most common breed in the U.S.: the Labrador Retriever.

They also only accounted for costs like:

• Food
• Vaccines
• General supplies
• Spay/Neuter costs
• Preventative Costs
• Boarding Costs
• Annual Check Up

So, for specialty breeds with allergy issues, predisposed medical issues, special cases, etc. obviously this study doesn't account for. But, to be fair, not everyone has dogs that rack up the vet bill every month.

Study Findings

According to the study, the national average cost of owning a purebred Lab is $28,801 over the pup's lifetime. In Oklahoma, that state average (the lowest in the study) is $24,855, or just over $2,000 a year for an adult Lab.

It's interesting that this cost is so low considering the fact that most people in Oklahoma that own a purebred Labrador are likely using them for bird hunting; ironically, an expensive sport because of the dogs.

@redbudretrievers Talkn bout since been #ducks #americanlabrador #hunting #huntingoutfits #oklahoma #huntingretriever #blacklab #fyp #foryou #fypシ ♬ original sound - Triple M Martinez

Not only are the dogs expensive, but so is the extensive training that goes behind bird dog training. According to Lonestar Outdoor news, the cost of training alone can run around $4,500.

Regardless of the breed, owning dogs is expensive altogether. But, knowing that people in California spend at least $1,000 more every year on the same costs makes me appreciate living in Oklahoma just a little more.

What do you spend the most money on for your pup? Message us through the app.

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