Choosing a fresh dog food brand for your pup can feel a little like trying to pick a favorite child—if that child were a furry, four-legged vacuum who deserves nothing but the best. Two of the biggest names in the game are Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog, and if you’ve been doing your research, you’ve probably come across both more than once.
They’re both premium, vet-developed fresh dog food delivery services. They both offer human-grade ingredients and tailored meal plans. And yes, they both promise to make your dog’s tail wag like crazy at mealtime. But which one really delivers the best value, nutrition, and experience? We’ll look at everything from ingredient quality to cost to convenience to find out. First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page (or pages, in this case). Here’s what we’re talking about today:
|
Winner
|
|
|
Fresh, human-grade food made from real ingredients for a healthier pup today and tomorrow. Recipes made from whole food ingredients, slow cooked for nutrition and flavor and always fresh.
60% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX + A FREE PINT OF VAN LEEUWEN X OLLIE ICE CREAM ENDS 7/27 |
The Farmer’s Dog is a fresh, human-grade dog food delivery service that customizes meals based on your dog’s age, breed, weight, and activity level. Made with real meat, vegetables, and essential nutrients, their vet-formulated recipes support overall health and digestion. Meals are pre-portioned and delivered straight to your door. |
Fresh, human-grade food made from real ingredients for a healthier pup today and tomorrow. Recipes made from whole food ingredients, slow cooked for nutrition and flavor and always fresh.
LIMITED TIME OFFER
60% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX +
A FREE PINT OF VAN LEEUWEN X OLLIE ICE CREAM
ENDS 7/27
The Farmer’s Dog is a fresh, human-grade dog food delivery service that customizes meals based on your dog’s age, breed, weight, and activity level. Made with real meat, vegetables, and essential nutrients, their vet-formulated recipes support overall health and digestion. Meals are pre-portioned and delivered straight to your door.
Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog at a Glance
Here’s a quick side-by-side look at how Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog compare on the basics.
Ingredient Quality & Sourcing
Let’s start with the most important thing to consider in any dog food. When it comes to feeding your dog, the ingredient list matters—a lot. You want real, whole foods you can recognize, not mystery meat or vague “meal” labels. So how do Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog stack up on sourcing and quality?
Let’s do a quick overview to start with. Ingredients vary between recipes, but for the sake of this comparison I stacked Ollie’s Chicken and Carrots recipe up against Farmer’s Dog Chicken Recipe (both fresh foods).
Ollie:
Ollie uses human-grade, USDA-certified meats and produce in every single recipe. Their meals are gently cooked in small batches and contain no fillers, by-products, or artificial preservatives. Everything is cooked in USDA-regulated kitchens.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog also uses human-grade meats and vegetables and prepares their meals in USDA-certified kitchens. Again, you can actually see the main ingredients in your dog’s food, so they’re pretty on par with Ollie there.
✅ Winner: I would call this one a tie. Both use top-tier ingredients that you can easily see. Farmer’s Dog comes out ahead if you need something without grains, though.
Nutrition Transparency
If you care about what your dog eats (and if you’re reading this, we’re betting you do), you probably want full access to nutritional info. Some brands make it easy to find… others, not so much.
Ollie:
Ollie provides detailed ingredient lists and guaranteed analysis for each recipe right on their website. They’re open about what goes in the food and why each ingredient is included, and they make it easy to find all of this info before you even begin tailoring your plan. Just click through the different product offerings, scroll down a smidge, and BOOM, there you go: everything you could ever want to know about the food is right there.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog makes it challenging to figure out what’s in their food at a glance. You won’t find full nutritional breakdowns on their site until you fill out a questionnaire (and give them your email). Even then, it’s easy to miss. At the end, they’ll give you a recommended plan, or you can choose your own. If you go with the recommended plan, you’ll want to click “nutrition facts.” See screenshot below. That’s where you’ll finally be able to see a breakdown by recipe. While their meals are AAFCO-compliant, some pet parents may want more info up front.
✅ Winner: Ollie –Both brands give you a customized plan tailored to your dog’s needs, but if transparency is important to you, Ollie delivers the full breakdown upfront (no hoops required), making it easier to feel confident about what you’re feeding your pup before you commit.
Recipe Variety
Picky pup? Allergies? Just want to switch it up from time to time? Recipe variety plays a big role in finding a meal plan that works long-term. Here’s what each brand brings to the table.
Ollie:
Ollie currently offers four fresh recipes—Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and Lamb—and each one is formulated by veterinary nutritionists to meet AAFCO standards for all life stages. Bonus? They also offer two gently baked recipes (Beef and Chicken) that are perfect as toppers, treats, or even full meals for dogs who prefer a little crunch.
You can also add two different types of treats (Jerky Strips in three flavors and Dental Chews in one flavor), and/or four different types of supplements. Between all of the offerings, Ollie makes it easy to create an entire feeding plan that goes beyond just basic meals.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog also offers four fresh recipes—Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and Pork. They focus exclusively on their fresh food line, though, so you won’t find any baked options. They do offer one type of treat (Snap Sticks), though, in three recipes that you can add to your plan.
✅ Winner: Ollie – Both have solid core fresh recipe selection, but Ollie wins by a landslide in terms of variety with baked options and extras that offer more feeding flexibility.
Pricing & Value
Fresh food isn’t cheap—but it doesn’t have to break the bank either. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money and how flexible each brand is when it comes to pricing. Prices are subject to change and may vary depending on the recipes and add-ons that you choose.
The intro discount is the typical discount that is almost always on. Both brands also do special promotions with higher discounts.
Ollie:
Ollie’s plans are reasonably priced, especially for the quality you get. They offer full fresh meal plans, half plans (great as toppers), and even baked-only options. You’re not locked into one formula either—you can mix and match to fit your dog’s needs and your budget.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog tends to be slightly more expensive, particularly for larger breeds. They don’t offer as much variety in how you feed (it’s full meals or nothing), so you may end up paying more than you need to.
✅ Winner: Ollie – With more flexibility and more budget-friendly options (like half plans or baked recipes), Ollie gives you more bang for your buck.
Transition Experience & Customer Support
Making the switch to fresh food should be smooth—for both you and your pup. A little support goes a long way, especially during the first few weeks.
Ollie:
Ollie includes step-by-step transition guidelines in every box and offers personalized support via email or text. Their customer service is friendly, responsive, and incredibly helpful if you need to make changes to your plan or troubleshoot picky-eater problems.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog also offers great customer support and a smooth transition plan. Their site is easy to use, and their communication is solid.
Tie – Both brands deliver in this area.
Packaging & Delivery
Let’s face it—dog food can get messy fast. Smart packaging can make all the difference in your daily routine, especially when you’re storing, scooping, or trying not to get dog food on your favorite hoodie.
Ollie:
Ollie’s packaging is designed for convenience. Their food arrives in pre-portioned trays (or vacuum-sealed pouches for baked food), making it easy to scoop and serve. The trays are resealable, and the box includes a super cute scoop and a storage container for your fridge. The box itself is eco-friendly and insulated for freshness.
The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog meals come in pouch-style packages. You’ll need to cut the top and squeeze the food out, which can be a bit messy. While they are pre-portioned based on your dog’s size, storage between meals isn’t quite as tidy.
✅ Winner: Ollie – The extra attention to packaging makes a big difference in daily use. It’s just more convenient, and less messy, especially when you’re in a hurry.
So, Which One Should You Choose?
Let’s be clear—The Farmer’s Dog is a great company with a high-quality product. If you’ve been feeding it and your dog is thriving, you’re not doing anything wrong.
But if you want the most complete, convenient, and customizable experience, Ollie comes out on top. Between their mix-and-match plans, easy-to-use packaging, visible ingredients, and baked options, Ollie gives pet parents a little more control and a lot more peace of mind.
And if you’re like me—and let’s face it, most of us are—your dog isn’t just a pet. They’re family. So, choosing a food that’s fresh, nutritious, and tailored to their needs is one of the best things you can do for them.
Bottom line? Ollie checks every box. That’s why it’s the winner in this fresh dog food face-off.
Fresh, human-grade food made from real ingredients for a healthier pup today and tomorrow. Recipes made from whole food ingredients, slow cooked for nutrition and flavor and always fresh.
LIMITED TIME OFFER
60% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX +
A FREE PINT OF VAN LEEUWEN X OLLIE ICE CREAM
ENDS 7/27
