The Farmer's Dog
Freshly made human-grade dog food
Pros
- The Farmer's Dog sends you pre-portioned packages that are labeled for each dog in the household.
- All dog food is made from fresh, human-grade ingredients and arrives frozen.
- The food doesn't have that "wet dog food" smell.
- The delivery comes with a handy cold-safe bag so you can transport their meals to doggy daycare.
- The food comes ready-to-serve (once defrosted), so there's no prep involved.
- Packaging is all recyclable or compostable, including the food package.
Cons
- The price can add up quickly for large or multiple dogs.
- Food arrives in packages that cannot be resealed.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your first box! No coupon needed - just use this link.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
I'm not the least bit ashamed to say my three dogs are spoiled. They're members of my family, and I care about their wellbeing immensely, which is why I was curious about The Farmer's Dog and their customized dog food plans. You may have seen The Farmer's Dog commercial tug at the heartstrings of all who watched the 2023 Super Bowl. So, I had to find out for myself: would fresh food for each dog really make a difference?
All About The Farmer's Dog
How the Farmer's Dog Works
Log onto the website for The Farmer's Dog, and you'll be prompted to fill out a profile about your dog so The Farmer's Dog can customize meals for your pup. How much does your dog weigh? What kind of dog do you have? What's their name? Does your dog get any treats or food scraps? The list goes on because they want a lot of details that will help them build a recipe that fits your pooch with foods made from human-grade ingredients. And yet the quiz is fun with prompts like "she is/isn't spayed and weighs [fill in the blank with weight] lbs and is the cutest [fill in the blank with breed] ever" that make you smile. Because of course your dog is the cutest ever, right?
Their recipes were all created with the help of board-certified veterinary nutritionists, and they're frozen before shipping to stay fresh until you're ready to serve. As they put it on their site, "there really isn’t anything fancy or magical about what we’re trying to do: real, fresh food made convenient. It’s still dog food, just how it should be."
What are the Farmer's Dog Plans?
The Farmer's Dog fresh food delivery plans are based on the number of dogs you have and their nutritional needs — and the brand will make suggestions based on information you provide about your pets. You have the option to change your delivery preferences at any time to rush meals or delay them.
Also, the brand offers a DIY Nutrient Mix plan which features nutrients dog owners can add to their own home-made dog food.
How much does The Farmer's Dog Cost?
Fresh dog food subscriptions range from $2-$12/day and depend on your dog's needs and the frequency of deliveries.
DIY Nutrient Mix plans start at $1/week and include free shipping.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your first box! No coupon needed - just use this link.
Where does The Farmer's Dog ship to and how much does it cost?
Currently the company ships to the 48 contiguous United States for free.
What dog food "flavors" are available?
Once you've gone through the quiz process with each dog to let The Farmer's Dog know your pup's vital information, you'll get a chance to choose from the following recipe flavors:
- Turkey
- Beef
- Pork
My The Farmer's Dog Review
My three dogs all have different weights and needs. My mutt is a bit gassy (ahem). My coonhound is a senior dog who doesn't get as much exercise as he once did. And my corgi is just hitting a year, and absolutely full of energy. But that means mealtime can be a bit chaotic! So I was curious if The Farmer's Dog food would make feeding them each their own food a bit easier... and if the fresh food would make a difference over the other foods we've tried.
Unboxing My Order
The Farmer's Dog food arrives in a big cardboard box that's recyclable and covered in cute sayings like "long live dogs." Coming home to the box on my doorstep, I knew even from a distance that my dog food had arrived! Opening it up, I found it was well-packed with biodegradable insulation I could pop in my compost bin. Each package of dog food inside was frozen solid too — and every single one is labeled with each dog's name so even though they look pretty much identical, I immediately knew with dog got which food!
Here's what I found inside:
Specially labeled packages of food for each of my three dogs
The packages of food all come in biodegradable packaging (sustainability win!) with labels that tell you the name of the dog the food is for plus how much to feed them each day. I found the portions super easy to dole out too, with the portions set up based on standard measurements like one pack per day or half a pack per day, which I could mental math down for their breakfast and dinner.
You also get emails with video instructions that provide tips on how to best feed your pups using the packages of food. For example, The Farmer's Dog suggests cutting a package right down the middle if you're supposed to feed your dog one package per day (which was what I was instructed to do with my two older dogs), squeezing the food out like toothpaste into the dog's bowl.
My only complaint is a small one — because you're supposed to cut the packages up, things can get a bit messy, and you can't reseal the packages to prevent some leakage onto the fridge shelf. The Farmer's Dog suggests putting it inside another container for this, but that does mean another container to clean. Again, it's a small gripe.
An insulated bag
This zippered bag wasn't something I'd specifically ordered, so it was a really nice perk. I could see using this to take your dog's food on vacation or to doggie daycare. And it's plenty big enough to use for your own food at the grocery store to help keep cold food cold on the ride home!
Feeding plans for each dog
Each dog got their own feeding guide that explained how to help transition their tummies from their current food to The Farmer's Dog to prevent any stomach issues, plus instructions on portioning!
What I Loved
The Food
When I say my dogs loved The Farmer's Dog food, I am not exaggerating. I found one had pushed her bowl up against the wall for leverage so she could lick at the bowl to get every single last morsel. That's dedication! Even my senior dog, who tends to each much slower in his old age and doesn't always finish his meals, has seemed to get more energy when it comes to eating. Not only does he finish everything in his bowl, but he's munching it down just as quickly as his sisters.
Although it's made from human grade ingredients, I wasn't about to try the dog food (sorry, I'm dedicated, but not THAT dedicated), but just examining it, it was immediately apparent what my dogs were eating. You can instantly see the pieces of broccoli and turkey, and the consistency was like a pate.
The Customization
Having packages in the fridge that are pre-labeled and pre-portioned for each dog is so incredibly easy, especially when someone else in the family is feeding the dogs. You don't have to remember which dog gets which amount or which package — it's conveniently written out for you!
The Smell
I hate the smell of most wet dog foods. It makes me gag. But The Farmer's Dog smells just like regular turkey that you might cook up yourself.
The Instructions
Between the plans included in the box and emails chock full of videos and tips, The Farmer's Dog definitely makes sure you know exactly how to pamper your pets and get the most out of feeding them. Their videos on how to dole out the food were extremely helpful!
The Sustainability
Nothing goes to waste with The Farmer's Dog. If it isn't eaten up by your pups, it's either recyclable (the cardboard box) or biodegradable (the insulation and food packaging).
What I Didn't Like
The Mess
Following The Farmer's Dog instructions to cut the packages in half was easy enough, but that left a package that had been cut in half... and no way to seal it up to prevent it from oozing out onto my fridge shelf. They suggested putting it in another container, which meant another container to clean. I realize this is likely to make the packaging more sustainable — after all, reusing my own containers is green! — but a zipper on their pouches made from the same biodegradable material would be nice.
The Price
This is the toughie for me. For all three of my dogs, The Farmer's Dog would cost me $24.46 per day if I were to continue on the plan — that's $171.21 a week. I don't even spend that much on groceries for my entire family of three. Digging deeper, I realized the big cost factor is my two bigger dogs because — surprise, surprise — they require more food each day to maintain their body weight. At 50 pounds and 70 pounds, they simply need more food. If I were buying for just my corgi, who requires half the food that one of her bigger siblings requires, it would be a lot easier to foot the bill.
My Verdict - Is The Farmer's Dog Worth It?
Overall Appeal
I was pretty blown away by this brand. I definitely loved seeing how much my dogs loved their food, and there's an inordinate amount of care and detail put into the whole The Farmer's Dog process that I appreciate as a dog owner and dog lover. From the sustainability factor to the simple fact that I could actually see the ingredients and know what my dogs were eating, I really liked this food.
Price and Value
Depending on your dog, the prices of The Farmer's Dog varies pretty widely from as little as $2 a day to $12 a day. Add in multiple dogs, and things can get pricey. The Farmer's Dog seems to work best for a single dog or small dog — feeding my year-old corgi, for example, would come out to about $2.65 per day as compared to my two bigger dogs whose food would cost me around $11 each.
Compared to other wet food companies, the prices are comparable. But my older dogs' old kibble — Diamond Naturals — costs me about $37 on an auto-ship plan for a 40-pounds bag. That's just .88 cents a day and I can feed two dogs for that price.
Still, if your vet has recommended a wet food for health concerns, the value might bet higher for your family pooch — that's a call you should make with your vet's input.
Convenience
Not only does the food arrive on your doorstep already made and ready to be defrosted (or thrown in the freezer), but The Farmer's Dog goes out of its way with instructions to make sure you know exactly what you're doing and never run into a "huh" moment. The pre-portioning is especially easy, and the labels make things extra easy.
Read more about The Farmer's Dog here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 50% off your first box! No coupon needed - just use this link.
Interested in more ways to improve your dog's life? Check out our complete list of dog subscription boxes.
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