The Farmer’s Dog Review 2023: Is Simpler Better?

The Farmer’s Dog is a fresh dog food subscription-based company. The service isn’t only convenient for pet parents thanks to its easy, no-fuss orders, but the dogs get to enjoy vet-formulated, human-grade recipes.

However, there’s no long list of recipes to browse like you might find in the grocery store or even in the offers of some other dog food services. The Farmer’s Dog only offers a limited selection of optimized high-quality dog food recipes. To help you out, I researched and reviewed The Farmer’s Dog based on my own research and experience with the brand.

I found that The Farmer’s Dog is an easy-to-use service dedicated to making pet parents and their 4-legged friends’ lives easier. I also found that the service has a team of professionals who understand the importance of portion sizes, nutrient selection, and responsibly sourced whole ingredients in a dog’s diet. 

The Farmer’s Dog Meals

Plans and Recipes

The Farmer’s Dog currently features 4 meals. These are all board-certified veterinary nutritionist-designed meals. Each meets the nutritional levels required by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. These include turkey, chicken, beef, and pork recipes that are fit for any breed at any life stage.

The service creates a personalized meal plan to suit your dog’s breed, age, size, and more. You’ll be guided through the selection process by answering questions about your pup. If you mention any health troubles, his or her plan will be adjusted accordingly. This won’t change the content of the recipe, but the selection of meals and feeding recommendations will change.

Ingredients

All the ingredients are gently steamed to ensure nutritional integrity. Overcooking food can lead to nutrient degradation in a way that makes them less absorbable for your pup. Gently cooking food ensures nutrient absorbability while increasing food digestibility.

Ingredients are sourced from local farms, reputable food suppliers, or other suppliers who deliver human food following USDA standards. Many veterinarians recommend The Farmer’s Dog dog food, especially for dogs that need to shed some weight.

I also like that the company doesn’t add preservatives or growth hormones. This means the food is less shelf-stable, but that it’s as close to its original form as possible. Eating food as close to its original form as possible is best for all pups, especially if they have any medical concerns or sensitive stomachs. 

Each recipe mixes human-grade meat and veggies plus vitamins and minerals. For the purpose of this review, I’ll analyze Jamie’s (my 10-year-old Akita Inu) turkey meal.

The protein source in this recipe is turkey, which is rich in 10 amino acids essential for a dog’s health maintenance and growth. The veggies combine chickpeas (rich in fiber), carrots (minerals and beta-carotene), broccoli (vitamin C), parsnip, spinach, and a proprietary nutrient blend.

You’ll also find ingredients like fish oil, taurine, and chelated minerals. Fish oil is rich in EPA and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely beneficial for dogs. Taurine is an important amino acid that keeps a dog’s heart healthy, and the chelated minerals are easier to absorb since they’ve been chemically attached to protein.

Nutrition

The Farmer’s Dog recipes are gently steamed and then frozen to make sure all the ingredients retain their properties and to kill any pathogens that may be present in raw foods. 

The Farmer’s Dog turkey recipe looks like good quality wet food based on the ingredients listed on the label. The ratio of fat to protein shows the recipe contains generous amounts of meat. 

This is supported by the data presented in the label's Guaranteed Analysis (minimum 8% crude protein, 4.5% crude fat, and max 1.5% crude fiber). Guaranteed Analysis information is strictly regulated by the AAFCO.

You’ll also receive a personalized recommendation on how much to feed your dog. Portioning is paramount, and it's different for each dog depending on their weight and activity level. For Jamie (a 75 lb dog), TFD recommends 1,216 calories per day.

What Makes It Different

There are several differences between The Farmer’s Dog and some of its top competitors. You may want to consider the following points if you’re considering ordering food for your dog.

Higher than Average Protein Content

Its meals have some of the highest protein content of any other dog food manufacturer. On average, its meals contain roughly 9.75% crude protein, at minimum. Few other dog food companies can say the same.

Food Quality

The Farmer’s Dog uses human-grade ingredients containing fresh proteins and veggies. Its on-staff veterinary nutritionists craft each meal so that they’re balanced according to AAFCO standards and optimized for dog health maintenance and growth.

Each recipe is also gently cooked at low temperatures in a USDA-certified kitchen. After that, they’re flash-frozen to retain optimal freshness, taste, and nutrient density. Not very many competitors can say the same.

Sustainability of Packaging

Not only are the delivery boxes recyclable, but everything else is, too. The insulation layers are even made from corn starch, which means you can simply dissolve them under running water and wash them right down your drain.

Also, the food packs themselves are fully recyclable once they’re rinsed, as are all plastic wraps. The reusable storage container is also made from biodegradable and recyclable materials and is free from BPA and any other toxins.

While all the plastic is recyclable, there’s still a lot of plastic packaging per order. Each of your pup’s meals are individually packaged and portioned, so you can easily cut open the bag and pour it into your pup’s dish once it’s defrosted.

Unboxing

The food is delivered frozen in a recyclable cardboard box with dry ice (to keep everything cold) and biodegradable insulation. Since everything is fresh and there are no preservatives, the food must be stored in the freezer, then defrosted in-time for the next meal. The food will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if it’s kept at the recommended temperature.

The bags are frozen flat, which helps manage storage space a bit. Also, each package is pre-portioned for your dog’s unique intake requirements. All you have to do is open up the package and serve your dog his or her food.

Luckily, each shipment comes with a reusable biodegradable cardboard container that makes it easy to keep an open package of food in the fridge. The exact storage instructions for your pup’s food are included in each delivery in the form of an easy-to-follow guide.

Prices

Prices range from $2 to $12/day. Each dog’s necessary quantity is calculated based on their size, age, and breed, which means that food for bigger dogs is more expensive. Food for bigger dogs is shipped in more frequent shipments to separate the order weight, while food for smaller dogs is shipped less frequently because there’s less food.

Newcomers get a discount and free shipping, but this brand isn’t for budgeting pet owners. My order, for 2 reasonably large dogs, set me back about $122 for 1 week, which is pretty steep. It’s worth trying out though, especially with a discount like Get 60% off on your first order!.

Whether TFD food is affordable depends on your dog’s size. If Milo had been a 10lbs Pomeranian, his food would cost around $25 per week, which amounts to about $100 per month.

TFD lets you choose multiple recipes and portions, topper options, and even a DIY recipe if you’re looking to incorporate a little bit of fresh food at a time into your pet’s diet. This is convenient since it allows you to test out fresh food without paying too much upfront.

If your dog doesn’t like the food, The Farmer’s Dog will send you additional recipes to try. You’ll even get a refund if you agree to donate the unopened food to a shelter.

Shipping & Delivery

The Farmer’s Dog ships for free to all 48 contiguous states, and everything is scheduled automatically from the moment you place your first order. The first order is called a Trial Box, and you’ll have 2 weeks to test if your pooch responds well to the new food.

All the meals are delivered within days of cooking so you can trust everything is fresh. You have full control over the shipping process since you can easily change the amount, ask for rush delivery, skip a week, or change your address.

How The Farmer's Dog Works

The Farmer’s Dog has a very easy ordering system. Everything starts and ends with your dog’s specific needs in mind. The signup process begins by answering the personalization questions.

How to Sign Up

1. Head to The Farmer’s Dog’s website: Then, to start the personalization questionnaire, click the Start Today button on the homepage. This will direct you to a 4-part questionnaire that collects information about your dog(s). While I did find the process a bit long (I have 2 dogs), I like the level of care that goes into preparing each meal recommendation.

2. Get your personalized dog food and check out: As soon as all your dogs’ profiles are complete and ready to go, the system will calculate their necessary daily caloric intake and decide on the best 3 meals for their needs. In my case, both my dogs received a combination of turkey, beef, and chicken.

It’s important to keep in mind that this result is a recommendation. You can accept it and move forward with the order, or you can change it manually (click on Change Recipes).

3. Adjust the amount of food you order to fit your budget and your pup’s health: You can choose whether you want a full portion or a smaller amount of food if you just want to see whether your dog likes TFD recipes. 

Managing Your Subscription

Your account stores the dogs’ profiles, order history, and shipping details. Everything is easy to understand, and you can easily change various details in your subscription such as shipping dates, quantity, meals, and more.

Customer Service

Customer service is easy to reach via email or phone. If you do need to call, the phone lines are open 24/7, and you can also use social media to contact The Farmer’s Dog. However, there’s no live chat option or app through which to more immediately and easily manage your subscription. In the age of smartphones and mobile devices, I find this a tad inconvenient.

In most dissatisfaction situations, you’ll have 2 options: opt for additional recipes to try or ask for a refund and donate the uneaten food to an animal shelter. 

The FAQ section has answers to common questions, but isn’t as extensive as I’d hoped. For a pricey human-grade dog food service, I’d expected the FAQ to be more easily searchable and extensive, especially regarding vitamin and mineral information. 

However, you can easily cancel and reactivate your account through the website. You won’t need to contact customer service to do so.

The Farmer’s Dog Recalls

The Farmer’s Dog has a clean record when it comes to recalls. This goes to show just how serious the company is about a strict cooking process and rigorous safety standards.

How The Farmer’s Dog Compares to Other Pet Food Services

• The Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie: Every Ollie delivery comes with customized feeding instructions like TFD, but it also comes with a personalized scoop that helps your dog get the correct amount of food and a “puptainer” to keep the food as fresh as possible. It also offers the choice of fresh or baked food, or a mixture of both.
  

• The Farmer’s Dog vs A Pup Above: A Pup Above offers similar fresh, human-grade food, although it doesn’t have an in-depth questionnaire like The Farmer’s Dog. As well as its 4 fresh recipes, it also offers 4 dry food recipes called Cubies. It’s a better option if you only want dry food, and it offers a mix-and-match combo bundle where you can mix fresh and dry food.

The Bottom Line: Is The Farmer’s Dog Worth It?

I think The Farmer’s Dog is worth the money. True, it is pricier than some other services, but that’s normal to expect from a service providing such high-quality, human-grade fresh food.

Don’t forget that the food is also formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and delivered directly to your door. So you have peace of mind that you’re getting exactly the right quantity for your dog and all its nutritional needs will be met.

If you’re not yet convinced or want even more options, we reviewed other top human-grade dog food delivery services. 

FAQ

Do vets recommend The Farmer's Dog?

The Farmer’s Dog works with board-certified veterinary nutritionists to formulate its meals, and it has a full-time animal nutritionist on staff. Also, vets all over the country recommend its recipes for weight loss and general health improvement.

How much does The Farmer's Dog food cost per day?

The cost per day depends on the size of the dog and its level of activity. Generally speaking, its breed and age are good indicators in this case. The food for a 10 lb dog can cost around $4/day, while a 55 lb dog can set you back around $9/day.

Is Farmer's Dog food grain-free?

All 4 recipes featured by The Farmer’s Dog brand are grain-free. These recipes contain human-grade ingredients and have generous amounts of fresh meat as the main source of quality protein.