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Thinking of changing your dog’s food to a fresh delivery service but aren’t sure which brand is the best for your dog? This article compares two of the most popular dog food delivery companies, The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie. We look at meal and treat variety, nutritional value, customization, pricing, and customer service and reputation.
If you’re looking for the best fresh dog food delivery service, the competition is fierce these days. Both The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie are top contenders, and they offer high-quality fresh dog food delivered right to your door. However, there are some differences in what they offer and some other features. Which service is best for you and your furry friend? I’ll give you the information you need to know to make the best choice for your specific needs.
Visit The Farmer’s Dog Website | Visit Ollie’s Website
| Farmer’s Dog | Ollie | |
|---|---|---|
| Meal/Treat Variety |  | |
| Nutritional Value | | |
| Customization | | |
| Pricing | | |
| Customer Service & Reputation | | |
| Overall Winner | | |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Meal/Treat Variety
The Farmer’s Dog (TFD) offers four fresh recipes (beef, chicken, turkey, and pork), and Ollie has five fresh formulas (beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, and pork). All of TFD’s meals are grain-free, while all but one of Ollie’s recipes are grain-inclusive (beef is grain-free). On top of having an additional fresh option, Ollie also carries gently baked chicken and beef recipes.
Both companies give you the option of ordering full meals or “topper” plans. For Ollie, you can choose half-fresh meals or their mixed bowl option of fresh and baked food. The Farmer’s Dog doesn’t offer topper plans for small dogs, but medium and large breed owners can choose from ½ or ¼ portions of fresh food. Topper plans are helpful for people who want to give their pups healthy, fresh meals but can’t afford the full plans.
Ollie also carries dental chews, supplements, and three all-natural, healthy dog treats: salmon & coconut jerky strips, chicken & apple jerky strips, and beef & sweet potato jerky strips. The Farmer’s Dog currently doesn’t sell any dog treats.
Meal/Treat Variety Winner: Ollie
Nutritional Value
Both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog offer human-grade meals and use all-natural, responsibly sourced, whole-food ingredients in their recipes developed by veterinary nutritionists. All recipes meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines for a complete and balanced diet for all life stages. Both companies also cook their meals in USDA-certified kitchens using a low-heat process to preserve nutrients.
The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie also add essential vitamins and minerals to their whole-food ingredients but leave out artificial ingredients, fillers, or preservatives. This category is a tie because the nutritional value of each company’s meals is excellent.
Nutritional Value Winner: Tie (The Farmer’s Dog & Ollie)
Customization
The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie both have online profiles that you fill out for your dog. Both sites’ profiles include your pup’s breed, gender, age, activity level, current weight, body shape, and ideal weight. These are the basics for most customized fresh dog food delivery services.
However, The Farmer’s Dog goes above Ollie in that you can inform them of more than 15 different health issues (allergies, gluten or grain insensitivity, ear infections, digestive issues, etc.), with the option of adding any other health issues not listed.
Ollie comes out ahead of The Farmer’s Dog by offering three different customized meal plans for full-fresh meals, half-fresh meals, and a mix of half-fresh and half-baked meals. Given the differences and similarities, I’m calling this one a tie.
Customization Winner: Tie (The Farmer’s Dog & Ollie)
Pricing
Both companies base their pricing on the recipes you choose and how much food your dog needs. They determine this by the profile you fill out for your pup, including weight, ideal weight, body shape, breed, age, activity level, and gender.
The pricing below is based on their websites as of the time of publishing. Keep in mind that the price for your specific dog depends on portion size as well as the recipe(s) you choose (e.g., lamb is more expensive than chicken). This pricing is for full fresh meals.
| The Farmer’s Dog | Ollie | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price Per Day | $2 | Less than $4 |
Both companies offer free shipping, and you can cancel, skip, or pause your subscription at any time. The Farmer’s Dog has a slight edge due to lower pricing and gives you more flexible delivery frequency options than Ollie.
Pricing Winner: The Farmer’s Dog
Coupons
- The Farmer’s Dog: Our readers have access to 50% off your first box. No code is needed. Just use this link, and the discount will be applied.
- Ollie: Our readers can get 50% off their first order. Use this link to take advantage of this offer (no discount code needed).
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer support is available by phone and email seven days a week for both companies. Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog both get overall excellent reviews for their customer service, from courteous, helpful staff to any problems being addressed in a satisfying manner.
Most of the negative reviews about both companies involve delivery issues (e.g., food being delivered late or warm), and both appear to resolve problems quickly. This category is too close to call, so we’re declaring a tie.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Tie (The Farmer’s Dog & Ollie)
My Personal Experience With Ollie
I switched from feeding Tiny 100% dry kibble to mixing the kibble 50/50 with Ollie. Tiny gobbled up his new mixture immediately and was begging for more. This was a big change from him typically turning his snout up when I feed him only kibble. After a few weeks on the new diet, Tiny continues to love his new food. I’ve also noticed that he doesn’t have nearly as much gas, and his every-other-day vomiting has calmed down a lot as well. The only challenge is making room in my freezer for his food packets and remembering to keep enough thawed in the fridge for his next few meals.
My Team Member’s Experience With The Farmer’s Dog
Our dog Lexie LOVES The Farmer’s Dog! She gobbles it down fast and has had much more consistent bowel movements since switching. She’s also lost and maintained a much healthier weight since switching from kibble (and her coat is noticeably shinier and healthier).
–Sadie Cornelius, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Parent, Creative & Marketing for Canine Journal
What’s My Final Verdict?
Both of these companies are excellent healthy options for your pup. The Farmer’s Dog gets the slight edge in this tight race, mainly because their pricing is generally lower. I also like that The Farmer’s Dog is more eco-friendly. All of their packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable. Most of Ollie’s is, but not all.
On the other hand, Ollie may be your best option if you want grain-inclusive fresh food. And if you’re into all-natural treats, it’s convenient to add Ollie’s treats to your auto-shipping order.
Overall Winner: The Farmer’s Dog
If you didn’t find exactly what you were looking for in this comparison, we’ve dug deeper into these companies with individual reviews of The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie, including our personal experiences. And see how The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie compare to other top-rated fresh dog food delivery services.
Our Methodology
We analyze hundreds of dog food brands and individual formulas to provide our recommendations for the best nutrition. Each of the following elements helps us determine the best dog food for any dietary need. Our in-depth research includes:
- Scrutinizing all ingredients included in every formula
- Having firsthand experience with our dogs for many of the foods we recommend
- Assessing the guaranteed analysis for every formula, including protein, fat, fiber, and caloric content
- Investigating the latest scientific studies on dogs’ nutritional needs and benefits of ingredients
- Researching the specific dietary needs for breed sizes and health conditions
- Reading hundreds of customer reviews
- Staying informed on every dog food recall
- Diving into every pet food brand’s history and reputation
- Keeping on top of pet food trends
Unlike many other review sites, we give unbiased reviews based on countless hours of research. Our goal is to provide our readers with the healthiest options for their pups.
Why Trust Canine Journal?
Sally has researched and reviewed hundreds of different dog food brands and specific formulas. She’s an expert at analyzing dog food ingredients based on current nutritional guidelines and scientific studies for the healthiest food for our pups. She’s part of a team of dog specialists at Canine Journal who have over a decade of experience in researching, testing, and writing about everything you need to know to keep your pup healthy and happy.
