The Farmer's Dog vs Ollie: Fresh Dog Food Head-to-Head
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Last updated: September 17, 2026.
The bottom line
There is no universal winner here — and any site that declares one is selling you something. Both The Farmer's Dog and Ollie deliver genuinely fresh, gently-cooked dog food with recognizable ingredients and full ingredient lists. The difference is in the model: The Farmer's Dog is subscription-only and deeply customized around your dog's profile; Ollie adds baked-dry options and more flexible plans (including mixing fresh with baked to manage cost). Pick on the model, the transition, and your budget — not on fear-based marketing about kibble.
Veterinary disclaimer: This review is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. Diet changes — especially for puppies, seniors, or dogs with health conditions — should be discussed with your veterinarian.
What both get right
- Real ingredients, listed in full. Both brands publish complete ingredient lists for every recipe — recognizable proteins, vegetables, and grains or grain-free options. This is the baseline of food transparency, and both clear it.
- AAFCO formulation. Both brands state their recipes are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for the appropriate life stage. "Complete and balanced" is the phrase to look for on any dog food label, fresh or otherwise.
- Veterinary nutritionist involvement. Both brands formulate with veterinary nutritionists — the correct professional for recipe design.
- Gentle cooking. Both use low-temperature cooking rather than the high-heat extrusion of kibble, which preserves the just-cooked character owners are paying for.
Where they differ
| What matters | The Farmer's Dog | Ollie |
|---|---|---|
| Food format | Fresh, gently-cooked meals only | Fresh meals plus gently-baked dry options |
| Plan flexibility | Subscription-only, customized portions per dog profile | Fresh-only, baked-only, or mixed plans — easier to step cost up or down |
| Customization | Deep: portions tuned to your dog's profile at signup | Profile-based too, with the mixed-plan lever for budget and pickiness |
| Transition support | Guided transition plan with the subscription | Guided transition plan with the subscription |
| Ingredient disclosure | Strong — full recipe ingredient lists | Strong — full recipe ingredient lists |
| Third-party quality marker | Strong — AAFCO-formulated recipes | Strong — AAFCO-formulated recipes |
| Honest marketing | Moderate — fresh-food claims tied to ingredients, but the category's "kibble is bad" framing is fear-adjacent | Moderate — same category tendency, slightly tempered by the baked line |
The Farmer's Dog: the purist's pick
If you want the most committed version of the fresh-food idea — one format, gently cooked, portioned to your dog — The Farmer's Dog is the more single-minded option. The subscription model is the whole product: your dog's profile drives the plan, and the plan drives the box. The trade-off is flexibility: it's fresh food or nothing, at fresh-food prices.
Check current plans at The Farmer's Dog
Ollie: the flexible pick
Ollie's baked line is the most practical innovation in this comparison. A mixed plan — fresh food as the topper, baked as the base — gives picky eaters the palatability of fresh food at a meaningfully lower cost than full fresh. If your budget or your dog's appetite makes full-fresh unrealistic, Ollie's flexibility is the honest answer.
What to keep in perspective
- Fresh food is a premium, not a prescription. A good AAFCO-balanced kibble, fed in the right amount, beats a stretched-thin fresh-food subscription. Don't let marketing make you feel guilty about a budget.
- Transition carefully. Both brands provide transition plans — use them. Abrupt diet changes cause digestive upset in many dogs, and "fresh" doesn't exempt a food from that rule.
- Storage and handling matter. Fresh food is perishable. Fridge space, thaw timing, and travel logistics are real parts of the product — factor them into your decision.
- Talk to your vet about life stage. Puppies, pregnant or nursing dogs, and seniors have specific nutritional needs. "Complete and balanced for all life stages" and "for adult maintenance" are different statements — read the label.
Pros and cons
Pros — both brands
- Recognizable ingredients with full disclosure
- Formulated to AAFCO nutrient profiles
- Formulated with veterinary nutritionists
- High palatability — genuinely useful for picky eaters
Cons — the category
- Premium pricing vs. conventional food
- Subscription + perishable logistics (fridge space, thawing, travel)
- Marketing leans on anti-kibble fear framing that outruns the evidence
- Diet transitions require care regardless of how "natural" the food is
Who should choose which
Choose The Farmer's Dog if: you want the full fresh-food commitment, your budget fits a subscription, and you like the one-format simplicity. Choose Ollie if: you want fresh food in the bowl without the full-fresh price tag — the mixed plan is the most budget-honest option in fresh feeding. Choose neither yet if: the premium would strain you, your dog does well on its current food, or your vet has dietary concerns — and that's a perfectly good decision.
Visit The Farmer's Dog Visit Ollie
Frequently asked questions
Is fresh dog food better than kibble?
"Better" is the wrong question. Fresh food uses recognizable, minimally processed ingredients and most dogs find it highly palatable. But a complete-and-balanced conventional food, fed correctly, fully meets a dog's nutritional needs. The honest premium you're paying for is ingredient quality and palatability — not a different category of nutrition.
Will switching upset my dog's stomach?
Any diet change can — that's why both brands ship transition plans. Follow them, go slower than you think you need to, and call your vet if digestive upset lasts more than a few days.
Can puppies eat fresh food subscriptions?
Only if the specific recipe is formulated for growth (puppies) or all life stages — "adult maintenance" is not enough for a growing puppy. Check the AAFCO statement on the recipe label and confirm with your vet.
How much does fresh dog food cost?
Pricing varies by dog size, recipe, and plan — a large dog on full fresh costs several times what a small dog does. Both brands quote your plan at signup before you commit; compare cost per day, not per box. We don't publish prices because they change.