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 anymore?

I've had RJ eating The Farmer's Dog food now for two years. Then, six months ago he started leaving food in his bowl. It was concerning to watch RJ go from an always-hungry pup to one whose energy levels dipped because he wasn’t fuelling adequately. After switching out his food to Ollie, a dog food company offering personalized, human-grade fresh dog meal plans with delivery right to your door, his bowl was licked clean, he had more energy to run and play, and just seemed happier. 

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 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 nutrition 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. I love feeding RJ a varied mix of meals, as he enjoys trying different flavors and types of protein, and it felt discouraging to not have easy access to that information.

Ollie’s food is created by a world-class team of vet nutritionists, food scientists, engineers, food quality and safety experts, all to create a higher standard for the food that you feed your best friend.

I think this is the secret behind why RJ loved Ollie more than The Farmer’s Dog. Their ultra high-quality food is better suited to him and his needs. 90% of Ollie customers said that they saw positive changes in their pup after switching to Ollie. For me and RJ, those positive changes looked like extra energy to expend chasing after a ball, better, firmer poops, and frantic tail-wagging any time he spotted an Ollie container. 

Another thing that I loved about Ollie is their commitment to high-quality ingredients. I want RJ to have the best of the best, not dog food that’s vague about what it contains, so I did my research on Ollie’s website about how they source and make their dog food. To ensure the highest quality, Ollie’s ingredients are only sourced from places that are able to pass a rigorous vetting and stringent approval processes. These ingredients are then used in recipes designed and verified by experts for optimal safety and nutrition.

Ollie’s food is more varied and interesting

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

‍RJ loves the flavor variety of Ollie, and I like that they make everything I need to keep him healthy and happy, even treats and supplements made with the same 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 is upfront about their human-grade ingredients, such as their salmon and coconut jerky strips made with wild-caught, MSC-certified salmon and dental chews made with cinnamon and parsley.

Ollie’s service is more personalized and supportive

Ollie’s health screenings are a huge plus for me and RJ. Available to anyone with a subscription right in the Ollie app, they provide total health support and on-demand expert feedback. By simply 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. It really sets Ollie apart from other dog food brands. 

Ollie’s onboarding process asked detailed questions about Ripley’s weight, ideal weight, activity levels, and spay/neuter status to recommend the perfect meal plan for him. 

The result? The portion sizes felt accurate for RJ’s needs, and I didn’t need to eyeball the serving size or second-guess whether I was underfeeding on more active days. Plus, their customer service team is available whenever I need them through online chat, email, or on the phone.

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

I really struggled with The Farmer’s Dog packaging day to day. Their dog food comes in big, floppy, non-resealable plastic bags. 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 designed to slot neatly into your freezer. 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 in your refrigerator, and a scoop for easy serving. 

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 quality and experience of Ollie has made mine and RJ’s life better, and it’s the best fit for our lives.