The Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie: which one is the best for you?

We're all becoming much more aware of what we're putting in our bodies and making sure that the food isn't overly processed and actually good for us. So it's hardly surprising that the fresh dog food market is growing at quite some speed – we care about our pups and want to make sure they have a diet full of all the nutrients and flavor they need! With so many companies offering meals delivered to your door, it can feel a bit overwhelming when it comes to deciding which is best for you and your dog.

Luckily for you, we've taken two of the biggest companies and thoroughly compared all aspects of them. This way you know exactly what you're signing up for. So, The Farmer's Dog vs Ollie, which one is better for you?

Quickly – what is fresh dog food?

Kibble doesn't have to be bad for your dog, and it's certainly the cheaper option for most pet owners. Fresh food is premium dog food that uses the highest quality meat and veggies to make delicious meals that cater to your dog's needs.

There are no additives or any hidden nasties and you know exactly what your dog is eating. In fact, many of the companies claim to produce human-grade food, meaning it's safe for you to eat too (if you'd like)! Unlike traditional dog food, most fresh food is also pre-portioned so you can manage your pup's weight.

Depending on which pet food provider you go with, you generally start off by filling in a questionnaire about your pooch. Some allow you to be flexible with regards to allergies and most take your dog's size, breed, and existing weight into account when advising on what you should feed them.

You then set up payment and wait for the delicious food to be delivered to your door!

Ollie Vs Farmer's Dog – key differences

Both The Farmer's Dog and Ollie provide great, nutritious pet food for your pup. Here we compare them so you can work out which would suit your dog best.

Meal options	Beef, turkey, pork, and chicken	Beef, turkey, chicken, and lamb
Made by vets?	Yes	Yes
Customizability and variety	Yes, based on breed, sex, weight, age, whether they're spayed or not, body shape, and activity level.	Yes, based on weight, breed, age, sex, spayed status, energy level, body shape, and allergies.
Price	Between $2 -$12 per day	Between $2 – $9 per day.
Free shipping?	Yes	Yes
Sustainability	All the packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable and free from poisonous toxins.	They're also sustainable, but less than the Farmer's Dog. A lot of the packaging that the food arrives in is either recyclable or made from recycled materials, but there's definitely more plastic waste.
Donations to charity	They regularly work with rescue centers and other pet charities.	1% of all proceeds to dog shelters and animal charities.
Welcome offers	50% off your first box	50% off your first box
Can you cancel at any time?	Yes	Yes
Refund policy	Yes, but only if you agreed to donate the unwanted portion of the first box to a shelter.	Yes, Ollie will refund the first box if you're dog isn't satisfied.

Meal Options

The Farmer's Dog

The Farmer's Dog has 4 proteins for you to choose from – beef, turkey, pork, and chicken. Depending on your pup's individual likes or allergies you can choose a meal that contains one of these proteins or various meals for a bit of diversity.

Each meal uses whole meats as the main ingredient, followed by plants, veggies, organ meat, and added goodness. Each of the recipes contains at least 9-11% crude protein and plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep your pup healthy and full.

Example recipes:

Beef recipe: USDA Beef, Sweet Potato, Lentils, Carrot, USDA Beef Liver, Kale, Sunflower Seeds, Fish Oil

Turkey recipe: USDA Turkey, Chickpeas, Carrot, Broccoli, Parsnip, Spinach, Fish Oil

Chicken recipe: USDA Chicken, Brussels Sprout, USDA Chicken Liver, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Fish Oil

Pork recipe: USDA Pork, Sweet Potato, Potato, Green Beans, Cauliflower, USDA Pork Liver, Fish Oil

Ollie

As with The Farmer's Dog meals, Ollie has 4 proteins to choose from– beef, turkey, chicken, and lamb. This homemade dog food also includes plants and veggies but has a higher proportion of organ meat than The Farmer's Dog. All the recipes have a minimum crude protein of 9-11% too. They also include extra vitamins and minerals, cod liver oil, and some herbs for taste and texture.

Example recipes

Beef recipe: Beef, beef heart, sweet potato, peas, potato, beef kidney, carrot, beef liver, spinach, chia seeds, dicalcium phosphate, blueberries, fish oil

Turkey recipe: Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils, blueberries, coconut oil, pumpkin, chia seeds

Chicken recipe: Chicken, chicken gizzard, carrots, peas, chicken liver, rice, chia seeds, spinach, potatoes, whole dried eggs

Lamb recipe: Lamb, lamb liver, butternut squash, kale, chickpeas, cranberries, potato, chia seeds

Customizability and variety

The Farmer's Dog

When it comes to Ollie vs the Farmer's Dog, you'd expect them both to be pretty customizable – especially when they're considered to be premium dog food and you're paying a premium price for them.

When first registering to The Farmer's Dog you have to set up your pup's (or pups') profile to determine which of the meals would be best for them. This is based on breed, sex, weight, age, whether they're spayed or not, body shape, and activity level. The Farmer's Dog will then recommend which meal is best suited to your pup and the amount they should eat per day.

As well as being able to let them know of any allergies, The Farmer's Dog also takes other health conditions into consideration, such as constipation, bad breath, stomach troubles, and more. They'll recommend the best fresh foods for your dog and which of the meals suit them best. They can also advise on prescription diets for liver troubles, joint problems, or skin conditions. It's always best to check with your vet first though, to make sure changes to a prescription diet won't cause any problems.

The Farmer's Dog topper plan

All dog owners know that changing over particularly picky eaters to a new diet can be challenging. Especially from canned food or kibble to fresh dog food that has a whole new smell and consistency. Luckily, The Farmer's Dog offers a topper plan which you can use to mix in bits of fresh food with their regular dry or canned dog food. That being said, if you have a smaller pup that doesn't consume many calories a day, your choice for a topper plan will be restricted (or nonexistent). Larger dogs should have a good selection though.

Ollie

Ollie also gives you the option to create a pup profile based on weight, breed, age, sex, spayed status, energy level, body shape, and allergies. They'll then recommend the best meals and you can mix and match to come up with a menu that your dog will love. Ollie will also tell you how much food to give your dog.

Ollie, however, isn't as accommodating when it comes to specific health concerns.

Supplementary meals/topper plan

Ollie used to offer a topper plan fairly similar to the Farmer's dog but unfortunately, they've stopped doing it and it's now only available to existing customers. Despite this, they do offer four great freshly produced treats that your pup will adore! The flavors are Savory Beef Strips, Sweet Potato Slices, Tasty Chicken Strips, and Trusty Turkey Strips.

Whilst both of these fresh dog food companies take your pup's unique requirements into account and are fairly customizable, it's worth mentioning that they only recommend a meal from the four set meal plans. If, for example, you have your heart set on feeding your dog a Farmer's Dog beef meal, but they don't like lentils, you can't just simply take out the lentils. It's not that customizable. Both, however, offer a good range of meals and fresh ingredients so a non-picky eater should be able to find something they love!

Price

Highly nutritious, healthy dog food is going to cost you more than regular kibble. There's no way around that. It's been specifically designed to give your dog all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and nutrients they need – all whilst being delicious.

The price for both of these fresh pet food companies depends on the size of your pup, their activity level, and how much they suggest your dog needs to eat.

The Farmer's Dog

On average The Farmer's Dog costs between $2 -$12 per day.

Ollie

On average Ollie costs between $2 – $9 per day.

Portions/Storage

When you receive your fresh dog food order, you'll have to freeze the food you won't be using right away so that it doesn't go bad. You'll also be sent nutritionist and vet specialist feeding recommendations so you know exactly how much of each packet to give to your pup. If at any point your vet recommends your dog to lose or put on weight, you can talk with both companies and they'll adjust the calorie intake accordingly. Your dog's health is important to them!

The Farmer's Dog

This fresh dog food arrives in squeezable pouches which are pretty easy to serve and freeze. They come with your dog's name on the front and clear instructions on how much you should give them per mealtime. A slight negative of The Farmer's Dog is that you'll have to store the opened pouches in the fridge.

Each pouch is the same size, so whether your pup is eating an entire one in one day, or a quarter of one, the rest will need to sit in your fridge. Fresh pet food certainly smells better than regular pet food, but some dog owners may not be a fan of having it in the fridge.

Ollie

Something that makes Ollie possibly the best fresh dog food is that it's so easy to serve and store. They're packaged in daily packs (so 2 meals) and are relatively flat which makes freezer storage even easier. Your first order comes with a scoop and a sealable container to make sure the food stays fresh and doesn't stink out the fridge too much. Pet parents love serving the food because you can see exactly what you're giving your pups, such as chunks of meat, sweet potatoes, and veggies.

Sustainability

Everyone is becoming more aware of the importance of sustainability, especially when and how things are delivered to your door and the single-use plastic that's used. This is definitely a key factor in Ollie vs The Farmer's Dog.

The Farmer's Dog

The Farmer's Dog is big on sustainability and doing what they can to reduce the amount of plastic they use and how the dog food is shipped. Of course, because the food is fresh, it needs to be kept cool during transport. Both The Farmer's Dog and Ollie freeze their food and send them in insulated boxes to keep them in the best condition possible for your pup.

The Farmer's Dog uses cornstarch insulation which can be dissolved in running water or composted. All the packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable and free from poisonous toxins. They purposefully put more food into the bags (unlike Ollie) so that there's less waste and once rinsed, these can also be recycled.

They also offer a biodegradable storage container which is great but can get a little messy and isn't as practical as a sturdy and reusable plastic one (like Ollie).

Ollie

Ollie also takes sustainability and the environment seriously – just not quite as much as The Farmer's Dog. A lot of the packaging that the food arrives in is either recyclable or made from recycled materials (such as the recycled cotton they use to insulate). However, because the food pouches are portioned daily, there's definitely more plastic waste as you need to throw them away each evening.

Shipping

A reason many dog owners decide to stay with regular dog food is that they don't have the space in their freezer to freeze bags and bags of fresh dog food. You also have to remember to defrost the correct amount each day. Being in control of your shipments can really help to reduce the stress around defrosting and increase the space in your freezer.

Both of these fresh food delivery companies have free shipping anywhere within the mainland US.

The Farmer's Dog

Depending on your dog's size (and therefore how many calories they need to eat), The Farmer's Dog will send the dog food every 8 weeks for a small pup and, generally, every 3 weeks for large dogs. You can, however, customize your shipping if you'd like them more or less often.

The Farmer's Dog is also pretty flexible with changing addresses or specific dates – which is great if you're traveling. You may notice a difference in order delivery time if it's the holiday season or there are heavy weather conditions (or, say, a world pandemic). But in this case, The Farmer's Dog will let you know.

Ollie

Ollie automatically sends your dog food every 2 weeks but if you'd prefer, you can change this up to every 6 weeks. You can also easily change your address or pause a shipment as needed. As with The Farmer's Dog, all adjustments need to be done before the order is processed.

Vets behind the food

The Farmer's Dog

All The Farmer's Dog recipes are specially designed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists. They're created to give your dog a well-balanced diet full of everything they need and nothing they don't. As well as thinking about your dog's health, they also design the food to have a likable consistency and be delicious!

Ollie

Each meal prepared by Ollie has been carefully crafted by veterinarians. Every recipe contains meat, plant-based proteins, fruits, and vegetables to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Both Ollie and The Farmer's Dog cook their meals in USDA-certified kitchens using high-quality meats.

How they give back

Both companies firmly have dogs and doggie welfare at the heart of what they do.

The Farmer's Dog

They regularly work with rescue centers and other pet charities. For instance, The Farmer's Dog offers a money-back guarantee if your dog doesn't like their first portion, but only if you agreed to donate the unwanted portion to a shelter.

Ollie

Ollie donates 1% of all proceeds to dog shelters and animal charities. They're also good at donating meals for rescue dogs and to shelters.

Welcome offers

The Farmer's Dog

The Farmer's Dog offers 50% of your first order box.

Ollie

Ollie is also offering 50% off your first order.

With both companies, it's worth checking their websites for the most up-to-date offers and codes. Ollie, for example, offers discounts when it's their birthday as well as special promotional codes for medical staff and first responders so they didn't have to worry about feeding their pups during the pandemic.

Verdict

So, put that all together and what's the answer to The Farmer's Dog vs Ollie?

Well, that really depends on your pup and what you'd like to spend your money on. Both provide really high-quality meals that have been designed by vets and nutritional specialists so you can be sure your dog is getting everything they need. Many dog owners have even noticed health differences in their pups, such as better skin, digestion, and a healthier-looking coat.

A reason you may choose one over the other is the ingredients used in the recipes. Does your dog particularly love lamb? Then Ollie is a better choice. If pork is one of their favorites, then The Farmer's Dog is a better bet.

Pricing may also come into play when deciding which company to order your fresh dog food with. Whilst both have free shipping within the US, The Farmer's Dog is a little more expensive than Ollie when it comes to price per meal. They have, however, thought of more environmentally friendly packaging than Ollie.

Whichever of these two great companies you choose, you can be sure that your dog will love how good they taste and the change will definitely be worth it!

Have you tried The Farmer's Dog or Ollie? Which did you think was the best fresh dog food? Let us know your experience!