With dogs, routine is everything. My rescue pup RJ knows when his breakfast time is, the route of his evening walk, and exactly when I might be persuaded into giving him a treat or two. But what happens when an existing routine just isn't cutting it any more?

I've had RJ eating The Farmer's Dog food now for two years. Then, six months ago, she started experiencing mysterious GI issues, and his vet couldn’t pinpoint why. After switching out his food to Ollie, a dog food company offering personalized, human-grade fresh dog meal plan and delivery service, his digestive problems cleared up in a flash. 

This made it super clear that for me and RJ, Ollie outperformed The Farmer’s Dog by a mile. The high-quality ingredients and thoughtfully designed makeup of Ollie’s recipes simply made it a better fit for my dog. 

A month into trying Ollie, I cancelled The Farmer’s Dog for good after realizing that Ollie simply does it better. Here’s why. 

Ollie has higher nutritional standards and better ingredient transparency

Ollie leans hard into food science in a way that works for me and RJ. Their website clearly shows exactly what goes into each of their recipes, and why, describing the effects and benefits of every ingredient. Their fresh lamb recipe, for instance, contains cranberries for antioxidants, butternut squash for fiber, kale for beta carotene to protect the immune system, and chickpeas thanks to their vitamins, and minerals which help regulate blood sugar and support eye health.

Meanwhile over at The Farmer’s Dog, you have to go all the way through their signup process to even see what food and flavor options are available.

Ollie’s food is created by a world-class team of veterinarians, food scientists, engineers, food safety and sustainability experts in veterinary science, nutrition, food engineering, all to create a higher standard for the food that you feed your best friend.

I think this is the secret behind why Ollie solved RJ’s GI issues: their ultra high-quality food is better suited to his sensitive tummy. 90% of Ollie customers agree, stating that they saw positive changes in their pup after switching to Ollie. 

Both brands use human-grade ingredients, but Ollie is clearer about their sourcing. Each Ollie meal is produced in US kitchens with ingredients carefully sourced from a network of trusted growers and producers. They cook with high-quality, human-grade ingredients, including premium meats and fresh fruits and vegetables. All ingredients meet USDA standards and are free from artificial additives, fillers, and byproducts, and they work with trusted suppliers who share the brand’s commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Meanwhile, The Farmer’s Dog is much less specific about sourcing, using vague language such as “trusted sources” and “premium meats”. If I’m paying good money for dog food, I want to know exactly what I’m scooping into RJ’s bowl. 

Ollie’s food is more varied and interesting

Flavor fatigue is real, and Ollie gets that. Ollie offers five different proteins in their fresh recipes, whereas The Farmer’s Dog provides just four. Plus, Ollie’s gently-baked kibble provides more textural variety, catering to dogs who prefer their nutritionally-complete meal plan with a little crunch (plus, it’s convenient for travel. Ollie’s baked recipes, made with high-quality meat and plant-based proteins, means RJ is guaranteed a healthy meal she loves wherever we are. 

RJ loves the flavor variety of Ollie, and I like that they make everything I need to keep his healthy and happy, even treats and supplements made with the high standards and quality ingredients as their fresh meals. While The Farmer’s Dog also makes treats, it’s difficult to assess the format and flavor options before you commit to a subscription. Ollie’s more upfront about their human-grade ingredients, such as their salmon and coconut jerky strips and dental chews made with cinnamon and parsley. 

Ollie’s service is more personalized and supportive

Ollie’s onboarding process felt noticeably more detailed than The Farmer’s Dog. Ollie asked detailed questions about Ripley’s activity level, weight goals, body type, and even what his poop usually looks like, a personalized service that made me feel like they really cared. 

The result? The portion sizes felt more accurate, and I didn’t need to eyeball the serving size or second-guess whether I was underfeeding on more active days. Ollie’s dashboard even let me tweak things week to week without emailing support or digging through FAQs. Plus, their customer service team is available whenever I need them through online chat, email, or on the phone. 

Another huge plus is Ollie’s health screenings, available to anyone with a subscription right in the Ollie app. By simple uploading a photo, you can get expert support regarding your dog’s transition to Ollie, digestion, weight, dental health, and skin and coat any time you need it. As a classically anxious Millennial pet parent, this was such a relief. We’re all just trying to do the best for our pets and having a dog expert tell me I’m on the right track is invaluable. 

Ollie’s food is easier to serve, with better packaging

The Farmer’s Dog packaging was a…challenge, to say the least. Their dog food comes in big, floppy, non-resealable packages. While they do provide reusable containers in your first order to store the packs during use, there’s no getting around the messy, unwieldy, unportioned bag that the food arrives in. Ollie’s food, meanwhile, comes vacuum sealed in smaller, user-friendly packs in a reusable tray designed to slot neatly into your refrigerator. No leaks, no portioning guessing game, no messy transferring. Ollie’s Starter Box for new customers even comes with a special ‘puptainer’ for storing food even more securely, and a scoop for easy portioning. 

Switching from The Farmer’s Dog to Ollie is a no brainer

For me and RJ, it was 100% worth making the switch from The Farmer’s Dog to Ollie. The difference is between a brand that delivers dog food, and a brand that delivers an entire thoughtful experience that’s convenient and easy to live with. Ollie’s a better fit, and RJ’s wagging tail when she eats his dinner every night reassures me I made the right call.