Today’s dog owners are much more informed about their dog’s health and well-being than they were even a few years ago.

Your dog may be doing fine or they may be suffering from health issues such as allergies, digestion problems or even cancer.

Whatever your situation you are probably thinking along the same lines as a lot of fur parents…that dogs, like us, need good quality food to help them stay well.

Many traditional dried dog foods, while very convenient and affordable, have a few key drawbacks:

1. Quality of ingredients used. They often use ‘protein fillers’ like soy or low quality meats.
2. Method of cooking at high temperatures. This is to dry out the food to make it into longer lasting pellets but unfortunately it also strips the ingredients of many of their nutrients.
3. Additives and preservatives. To help give dried foods a longer shelf life, many additives and preservatives are often included. Over time these could increase the risk of health problems like immune diseases and cancers.

These concerns are making more dog owners take a closer look at the ingredients in their food. And may are switch to fresh dog food as a result.

Here we review 2 of the best fresh dog food delivery subscriptions Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog. By preparing carefully balanced dog meals using fresh, human-grade ingredients, these brands are making us rethink what we should expect from ‘pet food’.

Their recipes are signed off by veterinary nutritionists to ensure that they give your dog all the nutrients necessary for long term consumption. And they’re delivered to your door in refrigerated boxes to be served while fresh.

See how they compare to each other in the table below, to decide which works best for you and your pup.

Ollie vs The Farmer’s Dog: Comparison Table

Before we review each fresh dog food service separately, let’s take a look at how they compare side by side:

Ingredients	Human-grade ingredients. High-quality meat. Sourced from family run farms in the US and Australia. Hormone-free chicken Fresh fruit and vegetables, gently cooked to keep nutrients. Superfoods like chia seeds	Human-grade meat and veggies Prepared in USDA kitchens
Free From	Fillers (soy, corn or wheat) By-products Hormones Artificial flavors Preservatives	Preservatives Protein “meals” Hormones or fillers Brown pellets
Protein Content in Meals	minimum 9-11% (depending on meal selected)	minimum 9-11% (depending on meal selected)
Price Range (USD)	$2-$9 a day depending on size, breed and other details. Get a personalised quote	$2-$11 a day depending on size, breed and other details. Get a personalised quote
Shipping Cost	Free within the US	Free within the US
Customised Based On	Weight Breed Age Gender Spayed Neutered Energy Level Body Shape Allergies	Breed Sex Weight Age Spayed or not Body shape Activity level Specific health issues including allergies
Recipes Created By	Board-certified veterinary nutritionists.	Board-certified veterinary nutritionists.
Meal Options	4 recipes: Beef Chicken Turkey Lamb	3 recipes: Beef Chicken Turkey
Treat Options	Savory Beef Strips Sweet Potato Slices Tasty Chicken Strips Trusty Turkey Strips	No
Meet AAFCO and USDA standards	Yes	Yes
Meal Storage	4 days in the fridge unopened. 3-4 months in the freezer.	4 days in the fridge. 4 months in the freezer.
Reviews	4.4 out of 5 stars from 416 reviews.	4.6 out of 5 stars from 1,101 reviews.
Special Offers	50% Off your first box	50% Off your first box
Money-back guarantee on first meal?	100% money-back guarantee.	100% money-back guarantee if you agree to donate the food to an animal shelter.
Websites	Ollie Meals	The Farmer’s Dog

Ollie Fresh Dog Meals Review

Ollie was founded by 3 dog owners and lovers, Alex Douzet, Gabby Sloane and Randy Jimenez.

They began Ollie in 2016 because they saw the value in homemade dog food. They couldn’t see why freshly cooked food wasn’t available to dogs and their owners as a pet food option.

Since Ollie was founded in 2016 it has only grown. Their reviews are full of stories of transformations in the dogs they serve.

What’s Great About Ollie’s Meals?

Ollie pride themselves on a few key qualities of their meals:

What Meal Options Does Ollie Have?

They offer 4 different meal options. Here’s a quick summary:

1. Beef recipe: Beef, beef heart, sweet potato, peas, potato, beef kidney, carrot, beef liver, spinach, chia seed, blueberries, fish oil, vitamin supplements.
   Minimum protein level: 9%.
2. Chicken recipe: Chicken, chicken gizzard, carrots, peas, chicken liver, rice, chia seeds, spinach, potatoes, whole dried eggs, vitamin supplements.
   Minimum protein level: 10%.
3. Turkey recipe: Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils, blueberries, coconut oil, pumpkin, chia seeds, cod liver oil, vitamin supplements.
   Minimum protein level: 11%.
4. Lamb recipe: Lamb, lamb liver, butternut squash, kale, chickpeas, cranberries, potato, chia seeds, vitamin supplements.
   Minimum protein level: 10%.

See the full meal details: Ollie Recipes.

How Do Ollie Meals Arrive?

Ollie meals are packed into a cardboard box and shipped to you once a week. They are covered with dry ice and insulation to keep them cold while in transit.

The meals themselves are in soft plastic packets. These packets are airtight which preserves the food for longer naturally, without the need for additional preservatives.

It will keep in the fridge for 4 days whether opened or unopened.

You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Along with your meals you get a plastic scoop that you use to portion out your dog’s meals. You also get a hard plastic container for storing leftover food in the fridge.

Meals are shipped for free in the US.

Ollie Reviews

Here’s a summary of what dogs and their parents thought of the meals online. On average Ollie had an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars from 634 reviews from independent review platforms Influenster and Trustpilot. 

In terms of negative comments, a few users reported finding some grizzle in their dog’s meals. Ollie’s customer service have been responsive to those reports in order to sort those instances out.

The vast majority of reviewers say their dogs love Ollie meals and lick the bowl (sometimes twice!).

Many cited their customer service especially as being ‘outstanding’ . This was both in terms of dealing with any problems and with accommodating custom requests.

Here are some reviews from 2 Ollie fans:

How much do Ollie meals cost?

Ollie customizes your quote according to your dog’s details so it’s difficult to give an exact price range.

From our research we have put together the below prices as a guide.

I also completed our own Ollie quiz for sample dogs of different sizes. I’ve included the prices we were quoted next to the ranges.

There are a lot of things that could effect your quote, so we do recommend taking a moment to do their quiz to be sure. It only takes a minute and you’re not committed to moving ahead with the meals.

You also have the option for partial meal plans if you want to keep the cost down.

The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food Deliveries

The founders of The Farmer’s Dog are 2 dog lovers who were tired of seeing dry, brown pellets being marketed as a ‘healthy’ food option for dogs.

They found these foods to be highly-processed and cooked to the point of being almost burnt.

Their mission was to redefine what pet food should look like and what it should do for our dogs.

Now it’s so good that apparently they even taste it themselves!

Does The Farmer’s Dog Have Good Quality Dog Meals?

The Farmer’s Dog is one of the best fresh dog food providers. They offer freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced dog meals free from additives and preservatives that are delivered to your door.

They also have a few main features which they pride themselves on:

What Meal Options Does The Farmer’s Dog Offer?

You have to complete their quiz to see these meal options online, but here’s a snapshot of what each one contains:

1. Turkey recipe: USDA Turkey, Chickpeas, Carrot, Broccoli, Parsnip, Spinach, Fish Oil, TFD Nutrient Blend. Min protein level: 9%
2. Beef recipe: USDA beef, Sweet Potato, Lentils, Carrot, USDA Beef Liver, Kale, Sunflower Seeds, Fish Oil, TFD Nutrient Blend. Min protein level: 11%
3. Chicken recipe: USDA Chicken, Brussels Sprout, USDA Chicken Liver, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Fish Oil, TFD Nutrient Pack. Min protein level: 10%

How do The Farmer’s Dog Meals Arrive?

The meals arrive in soft plastic packets with your pup’s name on them.

These are packed into a cardboard box with dry ice and insulation to keep them fresh while in transit.

You initially receive 2 weeks’ worth of food so that you can start your dog slowly on it. Then you can set your preferred delivery frequency anywhere between 7-56 days.

The meals can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for 4 months. They also provide a disposable cardboard tray and lid for storing leftovers.

The Farmer’s Dog Testimonials

After looking through the feedback from 2 websites, (Influenster and Google) I found that The Farmer’s Dog scored well too. It had an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 2,549 reviews.

Most dogs absolutely loved the food and looked forward to mealtime, even the picky eaters. A small handful had a bad reaction to the food but this can happen with any diet change.

The Farmer’s Dog fans had a lot of praise for their customer service which they said  ‘went above and beyond’ in some cases.

One customer’s dog passed away and The Farmer’s Dog sent them flowers to say they were sorry for their loss.

Here are some reviews from happy customers of The Farmer’s Dog.

Shelby W says:

Doroteya S says:

Is The Farmer’s Dog Food Expensive?

The Farmer’s Dog prices are similar to the prices of other fresh dog food delivery services. It is more expensive than dried dog food but this is to be expected with meals that are a very different quality to traditional kibble.

Below are some price ranges which you can use as a guide. As the quotes are customised to your dog’s needs, we recommend taking their quick quiz to get a customised quote.

Ollie or The Farmer’s Dog, Which is Best?

Both offer great quality dog meals and have rave reviews from happy customers. The main difference between them is that Ollie has a bit more variety to choose from. They offer 4 meal options and also 4 dog snacks, while The Farmer’s Dog has 3 recipes to choose from and no snacks yet.

In terms of the recipes themselves, some dog owners may prefer to have the option of a lamb recipe, in which case they would choose Ollie. Both have beef, turkey and chicken recipes.

Ollie’s packaging is also a little more convenient as they provide a scoop for portioning out the food. They also offer a hard plastic tray for storing the leftovers in the fridge.

On the other hand The Farmer’s Dog offers more flexibility. They take into account a large number of health conditions and allergies your dog may have when planning their meals.

They also allow you to choose exactly how often you want your deliveries to arrive. And they can even deliver to holiday addresses within the US.

When looking at the protein content in their meals, both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog offer between 9-11% minimum protein levels. So they are similar in this regard.

Since each provide quality, human-grade ingredients, meals formulated by veterinary nutritionists, customised to your dog’s needs, and delivered to your door, I would recommend either one.

Whichever you try, I hope that they give you a healthier, happier dog.

Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog FAQs

Has Ollie dog food been recalled?

At the time of writing this article, Ollie dog food has not been recalled by either FDA or AVMA. 

Are premium dog foods worth it?

Premium dog food may be worth the investment if the companies actually produce food that is healthy, balanced, and nourishes your dog. 

There are many expensive brands of dog food that don’t actually contain ingredients that are beneficial to your pet. 

From our own research, we found many pet owners who say fresh dog food brands like Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog are worth it. This is because the ingredients are human-grade, and the recipes are carefully balanced by veterinary nutritionists. 

How much is The Farmer’s Dog per month?

The Farmer’s Dog costs between $60-$330 per month. The exact pricing will depend on multiple factors like your dog’s breed, weight, and more. 

Is Ollie or Farmer’s Dog cheaper?

The starting price for both is about the same at $2/day for smaller dogs, but our quotes show that Ollie may be cheaper for larger dogs.

However, keep in mind that quotes can vary depending on your dog’s personal details. So the pricing we have provided should be used as a guide. 

The best way to see which is cheaper for you is to hop over to their websites fill in some quick details about your dog. Both can provide instant, customized quotes for you to compare.