Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog

Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog are two fresh dog food delivery services that offer high-quality meals for dogs. However, choosing the best service for your furry friend depends on your dog’s nutritional needs, which vary from one owner to another.

In this comparison, we will provide information on both services to help you make an informed decision.

Ollie vs. Farmer’s Dog Food Overview

	Ollie	The Farmer’s Dog
Protein Options	Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Pork	Chicken, Beef Turkey, Pork
Fresh and Cooked Options?	Yes	No
Recipes Created by Veterinary Nutritionists?	Yes. We started by working with a veterinary nutritionist who helped us formulate our balanced and complete, human-grade recipes, abiding by the AAFCO standards	Yes
Corn, Wheat or Soy in Recipes?	No	No
Suitable for Puppies?	Yes 3 months and up	Yes – age unknown
Allergens Addressed?	Yes	Yes
Ingredient Sourcing	We source all of our beef, chicken, and turkey from reputable suppliers in the United States. Both our chicken and turkey are raised without added hormones as required by the USDA. Our premium lamb comes from sources in the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia.	All ingredients are human-grade and sourced from reputable food suppliers, local farms, and other human food purveyors that meet USDA standards.
Accreditation	USDA certified kitchen and meats, AAFCO certified for all life stages	USDA certified kitchen and meats, AAFCO certified for all life stages
Offers Treats	Yes	Yes
Partial Plans / Supplemental Plans	Yes.  Half Fresh plan starts at $1.00 / meal	No
Pricing	As low as $1.00 / meal* for half portions	As low as $2
Shipping	Free	Free
Sustainable Packaging	We select packing materials that can be recycled curbside or via in-store drop off For materials that aren’t recyclable, we’re committed to offsetting 20% of our plastic pawprint through partnerships with best-in-class organizations	Our shipping boxes go directly to our customers’ doors, reducing the need for store runs. It’s made from cardboard and is completely recyclable, once the dog is done playing with it (or “reusing” it). Our insulation is pretty fun. It’s made from corn starch and dissolves under running water. The plastic wrap that stops it from melting against the cold packs during transit is also recyclable.
Promotions	Varies 50% – 65%	Varies 20% – 50%
Cancel at any time?	Yes	Yes

Price Examples – Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog

Dog Example 1:

• Breed – Yorkie
• Age – 2 year old
• Weight – average
• Activity level – average

	Full Fresh Plan	Mixed Plan	Half Fresh/Topper
Ollie	$22.10/week	$9.20/week	$15.40/week
The Farmer’s Dog	$18.20/week	N/A	N/A

Dog Example 2:

• Breed – Labrador Retriever
• Age – 2 year old
• Weight – average
• Activity level – average

	Full Fresh Plan	Mixed Plan	Half Fresh/Topper
Ollie	$55/week	$45/week	$37.50/week
The Farmer’s Dog	$60.15/week	N/A	N/A

Recipe Options – Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog

For a picky pup or one with food sensitivities or a sensitive stomach, both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog offer multiple recipe options, each of which is a complete and balanced meal. Therefore, whether you vary the recipes you serve your canine companion or provide them with their preferred meal, your dog’s nutritional needs will always be met. Of note, each company’s recipes meet the standards for all life stages, so they’re appropriate for puppies, adults, and seniors.

Ollie’s Recipes

Compared with TDF’s four available recipes, Ollie offers five different recipes, each with a single protein source. Each Ollie recipe’s first ingredient is human-grade meat, followed by vegetables, fruits, and/or healthy grains, oils, and vitamin and mineral supplements. The food is cooked in small batches and arrives refrigerated, so preservatives are unnecessary. Learn about each Ollie recipe’s main ingredients.

• Beef – Our beef recipe contains beef, sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, peas, spinach, and chickpeas. Spinach packs a punch, providing vitamins A, B, C, and K, and chickpeas are filled with plant-based proteins and fiber, while sweet potatoes provide vitamins A and C and serve as a slow-burning energy source. Peas are a good lutein source, supporting eye, skin, and heart health.

• Chicken – Our Ollie chicken recipe contains chicken, rice, carrots, peas, potatoes, spinach, and cranberries. In addition to being gentle on your pooch’s digestive system, rice provides fiber, vitamin D, and iron. Cranberries are packed with antioxidants, and carrots’ vitamin A supports eye health. 

• Turkey – Our turkey recipe contains turkey, butternut squash, oats, lentils, spinach, blueberries, and kale. Oats are an easily digestible energy source, squash provides vitamin A, and blueberries and kale are superfoods that contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

• Lamb – Our lamb recipe contains lamb, butternut squash, chickpeas, kale, rice, cranberries, green beans, and potatoes. This recipe is packed with fiber and vitamins.

• Pork – Ollie’s newest meal, our pork recipe provides a unique option if your dog is allergic to common protein sources such as chicken and beef. The recipe contains pork, butternut squash, rice, sweet potatoes, oats, peas, carrots, and spinach. To promote your canine companion’s healthy bowel movements, our pork recipe includes apples, which contain plenty of fiber (i.e., pectin).

The Farmer’s Dog Recipes

The Farmer’s Dog offers four recipes compared with Ollie’s five. Like Ollie, The Farmer’s Dog offers an allergy-friendly pork recipe. Each of The Farmer’s Dog’s recipes is grain-free, deriving most of their carbohydrates from vegetables and legumes. Recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports indicate that some grain-free dog foods can put your pooch at risk for developing heart disease. However, this association has not been linked with fresh dog foods, only certain kibbles.

Similar to Ollie, The Farmer’s Dog recipes’ first ingredient is human-grade meat, followed by various vegetables, fruits, and legumes. As does Ollie, The Farmer’s Dog balances their recipes with oils, vitamins, and minerals, and they cook the food in small batches at a low temperature. Learn about each TFD recipe’s main ingredients.

• Beef – The The Farmer’s Dog beef recipe contains beef, sweet potatoes, lentils, carrots, kale, and sunflower seeds.
  
• Chicken – The chicken recipe contains chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and chia seeds.
  
• Turkey – The The Farmer’s Dog turkey recipe contains turkey, chickpeas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, and parsnips.
  
• Pork – The pork recipe contains pork, sweet potato, potato, green beans, and cauliflower.

Plan Customization Options

Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog each allow you to customize your pooch’s meal plan. Each company asks you to complete a questionnaire and uses an algorithm to determine your pet’s caloric needs. Based on your questionnaire responses, each company recommends the most appropriate recipes for your canine companion. 

Ollie accounts for age, size, breed, activity level, and current weight, while The Farmer’s Dog goes one step further to inquire about a dog’s medical conditions. That said, neither plan may be appropriate for your pet if they have highly specialized nutritional needs, because the recipes themselves are standard. Neither company tweaks a recipe’s ingredients to accommodate a specific dietary requirement. You will, however, receive portioned meals personalized for your pup’s energy needs.

Meal Plan Options

Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog each offer meal plan customization options, which may influence which company you choose to provide your pup’s food. Consider each company’s available options.

Ollie Dog Food Meal Plans

Our Ollie team offers three different meal plan options: full fresh, half fresh, and mixed bowl. Fresh food can be costly for larger or more active dogs, so the half-fresh and mixed bowl options offer a way to provide your canine companion with fresh food for less money. The full fresh option provides 100% fresh food. Our half-fresh option provides 50% of your pet’s daily energy needs in fresh food, allowing you to mix it with your dog’s current diet. The mixed bowl option provides a customizable mix of Ollie’s five fresh and two baked food options (i.e., Ollie’s version of a healthier kibble).

The Farmer’s Dog Plans

The Farmer’s Dog offers only one meal plan option that provides 100% of your dog’s caloric needs each day, which prevents you from being able to mix fresh food into your pooch’s current diet and hinders any cost-saving strategy. If you have a large-breed dog and simply want to provide them with a fresh food mixture for a while, Ollie is the better option.

Meal Plan Extras

Ollie offers food plan extras, including treats and supplements, that can make meeting your dog’s nutritional needs easier, because you can bundle these options into the shipments you’re already receiving. In addition, you know Ollie’s extras are coming from a reputable source. The Farmer’s Dog does not offer any plan extras. The company focuses solely on fresh dog food.

Ollie Treats and Supplements

Ollie offers three daily supplements you can add to your pooch’s plan, including a probiotic for tummy troubles, a chill pill formula that promotes calmness, and a hip and joint chew to support healthy mobility and function. Our Ollie team also offers add-on treats made from simple, whole ingredients, such as chicken, beef, apple, and sweet potato, which you can feel good about giving your pet.

Ollie User-friendly Mobile App

A bonus to providing your pooch with Ollie’s fresh foods, our easy-to-use mobile app allows you to customize each order and monitor its delivery status. With 4.7 stars on Google Play and 4.9 stars in the Apple App Store, the Ollie app provides you with intuitive and useful features you can access from anywhere.

Storage & Packaging

Ollie

• Ollie’s packaging consists of slimmer food packs that take up less space in the freezer and fridge
• The food packs are easy to open, with a peel-and-serve design
• Ollie provides a Pup-tainer for storing the food pack in the fridge, keeping it fresh
• A serving spoon or scoop is provided by Ollie depending on the meal
• Ollie food packs can be kept for up to 6 months in the freezer and up to 4 days in the fridge

The Famer’s Dog

• The Farmer’s Dog food packs arrive pre-portioned for each dog and stack neatly in the freezer and fridge
• The food packs are recyclable after rinsing, and the company provides a reusable storage container made of biodegradable and recyclable materials
• The Farmer’s Dog food packs can be kept for up to 6 months in the freezer and up to 4 days in the fridge

Sustainability  

Ollie

• Ollie uses recyclable packaging materials that can be recycled curbside or via in-store drop-of
• The insulating liner in Ollie’s packaging is curbside recyclable.
• Ollie is committed to offsetting 20% of its plastic and carbon pawprint through partnerships with best-in-class organization

The Farmer’s Dog

• The Farmer’s Dog uses recyclable food packs (after rinsing) and provides a reusable storage container made of biodegradable and recyclable materials
• The shipping boxes are made from cardboard and are completely recyclable
• The insulation used in The Farmer’s Dog packaging is made from corn starch and dissolves under running water, making it biodegradable

The Final Word

With more customization options and recipes, extras, including treats and supplements, and a user-friendly mobile app, Ollie is the clear winner when compared with The Farmer’s Dog. Visit our Ollie website or blog to learn more about how fresh food can transform your pup’s health, and receive 50% off your first order.