If you have a dog, chances are you’ve heard about —arguably the most well-known fresh dog food subscription on the market. Maybe you’re here because you already feed your dog fresh or homemade food and are curious about switching over to the brand, or perhaps you’re considering making the transition to a partial or total fresh food diet and doing some preliminary research. In this Farmer’s Dog review, I cover the pros and cons of the delivery service, including who it’s best for and things to keep in mind before subscribing.
The Farmer’s Dog makes appearances at the top of our guides to the best dog food delivery services and the best fresh dog food, and having been around for a decade, it’s a brand that many veterinarians I’ve spoken with recommend by name. I’ve fed my own dogs The Farmer’s Dog meals over the years, and other Forbes Vetted staff provided their firsthand experience for this review as well. In addition, I reached out to the brand to get insights on its recipe development, portion sizing and more; I’ve incorporated this information throughout this review, to help guide pet owners to make the best nutritional choice for their dogs.
About The Farmer’s Dog
Fresh Ingredients That Go Through Strict Testing
The Farmer’s Dog’s recipes are formulated with fresh, human-grade ingredients—meaning meals have been made in human-food facilities and adhere to human-food quality and safety standards. This is in contrast to what’s called “feed-grade” ingredients, which are used in most commercial kibble or canned dog food.
The ingredients used in Farmer’s Dog recipes are gently cooked at a temperature high enough to eliminate pathogens and bacteria, but low enough to preserve nutrients, before the food is flash-frozen. All meals adhere to both AAFCO and World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) . According to the brand, under its strict positive-release program, every batch must pass visual, analytical and microbiological testing before it leaves the facilities.
Customizable Subscription Model With Reliable Delivery
Like all personalized dog food subscription services, new customers are first asked to complete a questionnaire about their pup, with information about their age, breed, activity level, food allergies and more. The Farmer’s Dog works with four board-certified veterinary nutritionists as well as Ph.D. animal nutritionists to formulate its recipes and tailor them to individual dogs’ needs based on the initial survey responses.
If you have a growing puppy, for example, or a dog whose health or activity levels change throughout the course of their lifetime, you can make adjustments as needed. The survey takes just a few minutes to fill out, and then you’re presented with the recommended options for your pup.
While there are seven recipes available, note that you can only select up to three recipes to include in each delivery (though you can always change this variety from order to order). You also choose whether you’d like to receive two or three weeks’ worth of food in each delivery.
The meals arrive frozen, and I’ve never had an issue with their delivery; even on hot days, the insulation has ensured no packs have thawed.
Keep in mind you will need ample room in your freezer to store the pouches. When you’re ready to serve them, move them to the fridge; they’ll be ready for your pup to eat within 24 hours. Once a meal has been thawed, it should be consumed within four days, so plan accordingly.
Pup-Pleasing Recipes
Recipes include standard proteins—chicken, turkey, beef and pork—in both grain-free and grain-inclusive options (with the exception of turkey, which is available as a grain-free recipe only). You should chat with your vet to determine if a grain-free diet is appropriate for your pet.
I’ve given my dog Gizmo both the beef and pork varieties (since he has allergies to poultry), in grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes, and he licks his bowl clean every time. My old dog Tico, who was a notoriously picky eater, would devour his meals from The Farmer’s Dog as well.
I appreciate that you can clearly see the ingredients in each recipe, from lentils to bits of kale and carrots. It’s not a mushy, uniform consistency; you can actually recognize the whole foods in every meal.
Several other Forbes Vetted staffers have had positive experiences with The Farmer’s Dog, too. “We slowly transitioned our mixed-breed puppy to The Farmer’s Dog and now she finishes the bowl every day,” says deputy editor Rose Gordon Sala, whose puppy had lost interest in the food she’d been eating previously.
Reliable Customer Service
The Farmer’s Dog website is intuitive, and tweaking your subscription as needed is typically effortless. You can use the brand’s text support feature to contact a representative and make adjustments as needed.
Julie Finken, product manager at Forbes Vetted, has also subscribed to the The Farmer’s Dog and gives high marks to the the brand’s customer service. “They send me text updates I can reply to so I can update my order without needing to log into my account,” she says. “I’ve had to adjust my delivery dates several times, and their replies are always super speedy.”
Pricing
Fresh dog food does tend come at a premium price, but The Farmer’s Dog is priced competitively in comparison to other popular brands. In my guide to The Farmer’s Dog Vs. Ollie, for instance, I note that a two-week order of the same fresh recipes (seven beef meals and seven pork meals) for my 72-pound dog came to $151.17 at The Farmer’s Dog and $170.38 at .
Different recipes have slightly different prices, however, so when I played around with the variety in each order, I saw anywhere upwards of around $178 for The Farmer’s Dog and $198 for Ollie. Another leading fresh dog food brand we recommend, , starts at $175 for a two-week order of food for a 72-pound dog.
Overall, you’re likely to pay a bit less with a Farmer’s Dog subscription versus other competing fresh dog food delivery services. For small dogs, you can expect to pay upwards of approximately $80 per month, depending on their needs and the recipes you choose.
The Farmer’s Dog also offers new customers a free trial box (two weeks’ worth of food) during select times of the year, which is the most generous sign-up offer we’ve seen among dog food brands.
Add-Ons
A unique offering of The Farmer’s Dog is its , for those interested in making home-cooked dog food. One of the primary challenges with homemade dog food, while more affordable than a delivery service, is ensuring that your pet’s diet is nutritionally balanced and proportions are correct. It can be tough to get right without consulting a veterinary nutritionist and crafting a personalized plan.
This nutrient mix—a powder-based supplement designed to sprinkle on food for balanced nutrition—eliminates a lot of guesswork. The Farmer’s Dog also offers recipes designed to pair with the mix, based on your dog’s needs. It’s a valuable, vet-informed resource for pet guardians who prefer to cook their pet’s food, while eliminating nutritional gaps in their diet.
The Farmer’s Dog also gives you the option to to your order, available in chicken, turkey, beef or pork varieties. My dog was an instant fan—and so were the pups at the local animal shelter where I volunteer. They’re made with three simple ingredients, too: just the protein, a fruit (either apple or pear) and sea salt.
Things To Consider About The Farmer’s Dog
Based on my experience, the main place where The Farmer’s Dog falls short is in its packaging. The sleeves are not resealable, so you have to cut them open with a scissor or knife. That means portioning out precise amounts—especially if you’re using it as a topper—can be a little difficult. (Plus, your tool gets dirty in the process.)
While a resealable pouch or container would be more convenient, the brand does provide a plastic storage container with your first order, which is helpful for keeping your fridge tidy or for traveling with open pouches. Your dog’s name is also printed on each one, which—in addition to simply being cute—is a handy bonus if they go to daycare or boarding, or if you have a pet sitter caring for multiple animals in your home.
Additionally, keep in mind that the brand offers only four protein options, which may not work well for dogs with allergies who need a novel-protein diet.
Final Thoughts
The Farmer’s Dog is an excellent choice for anyone who is interested in feeding their pup a full or partial fresh food diet, and it’s generally a little less expensive than competing delivery services. Its recipes are loved even by picky eaters, its site is easy to navigate, managing orders is simple, and there’s a decent variety of recipes to choose from. Plus, its resources for those who’d like to cook their own dog food make the brand stand out.
If your dog has food allergies or aversions and you need meals made with novel proteins, however, it might not be your best bet. It’s also not suitable for dogs who require a prescription diet. (I recommend for the best prescription fresh food.)
Is Fresh Food Better For Dogs?
I’ve covered pet food and pet products for several years, and I’ve interviewed a host of veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists—most of whom agree that fresh food made with high-quality, human-grade ingredients are an optimal choice for your pup.
In fact, a recent study by also found that dry dog food contains the highest levels of heavy metals, followed by air-dried and freeze-dried varieties. Fresh and frozen dog food had significantly lower contaminant levels than kibble, particularly of lead and mercury, according to the tests cited. (Note that the study did not include specific test results by product or brand.)
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted home and kitchen team has published a large volume of expert- and editor-backed content to help readers find the best pet products for their dogs (and cats).
- This review was written by Forbes Vetted managing editor Emmy Favilla, who has been covering commerce content for the greater part of the last decade and has been an editor for 20 years. She regularly reports on pet content at Forbes Vetted (including a monthly column called Pet Peeves) and has been a dog owner, foster dog parent and shelter volunteer for many years.
- Our home team has researched and reported on dog nutrition topics for several stories, including the best dog food delivery services, the best dog food for senior dogs, the best dog food for sensitive stomachs and more.
- We plan to regularly update this story to ensure our advice remains up to date. This story was last published in April 2026.