Two-thirds of pet parents say caring for their pet keeps them grounded, even when it strains their budget, according to Northwestern Mutual’s Consumer Sentiment Survey. Few decisions test that balance like what goes in your dog’s bowl.
Fresh dog food subscriptions have become a popular alternative to kibble, but they aren’t cheap. The Farmer’s Dog advertises plans from about $2 a day, though most dogs cost more. Here’s what you’d likely pay for yours, and what veterinarians think of the food.
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The Farmer’s Dog at a glance
- Overall verdict: Vet-formulated fresh food at a competitive price, but costs climb quickly for big dogs.
- Best for: Owners of small to medium dogs or picky eaters who want fresh food without cooking it themselves.
- Biggest pro: Recipes developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, with feeding trials.
- Biggest con: About $275 to $425 a month for a large dog on full portions.
- Price: From about $2.80 a day for small dogs, 50% off your first box.
- Food type: Gently cooked, frozen fresh food, plus a shelf-stable Instant Fresh line.
- Subscription and delivery basics: Free shipping to every state except Alaska and Hawaii; pause or cancel anytime.
What is The Farmer’s Dog?
The Farmer’s Dog is a subscription service that delivers fresh dog food made from the same kind of meat and vegetables you’d buy for yourself. Its recipes are gently cooked and frozen, then portioned to your dog’s size,
age and activity level. The company also sells Instant Fresh, a shelf-stable version you mix with water, and ships to every state except Alaska and Hawaii.
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The Farmer’s Dog recipes and ingredients
You can choose different recipes based on your dog’s lifestyle.
What recipes does The Farmer’s Dog offer?
The Farmer’s Dog offers seven fresh recipes. Four are built around a single protein (beef, chicken, turkey or pork), and three are grain versions made with oats. Each plan includes up to three recipes.
What ingredients does The Farmer’s Dog use?
Whole muscle meat and organs like liver make up at least half of every recipe. The rest comes from vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and kale, plus fiber sources like sweet potatoes. Each recipe also includes a vitamin and mineral blend and fish oil.
Two recipes list legumes near the top of their ingredients: chickpeas in the turkey recipe and lentils in the beef. The FDA has been investigating a possible link between legume-heavy diets and a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, though it says there’s no evidence legumes are inherently dangerous.
If your dog is a breed prone to heart problems, such as a golden retriever, or already has heart issues, ask your vet before choosing either recipe.
Does The Farmer’s Dog meet nutritional standards?
Yes. The Farmer’s Dog says board-certified veterinary nutritionists formulate its recipes to meet AAFCO standards, the nutrient guidelines most U.S. pet foods follow, and its Fresh recipes are labeled complete and balanced for all life stages.
Several recipes have also passed AAFCO feeding trials, which test whether dogs stay healthy on a food for six months, according to the company. It also reports that 10 dogs in their own study stayed healthy for up to six years.
Is The Farmer’s Dog healthy for dogs?
For many dogs in good health, yes. “I think it and other fresh formulas can be a reasonable and nutritionally sound choice,” says Dr. Sarah Wooten, a veterinarian and certified veterinary journalist. She likes that the food is cooked rather than raw and that the company runs feeding trials. “That gives me considerably more confidence than I would have in a fresh-food company that simply markets whole ingredients without demonstrating nutritional adequacy,” she says.
Wooten stops short of calling it better than kibble, though. “What I would not say is that it is inherently healthier than every good kibble, canned diet or other properly formulated food,” she says.
Dr. Karen “Doc” Halligan, a veterinarian at Marina Veterinary Center in Los Angeles, doesn’t routinely recommend it over high-quality dry or canned food. “There is no convincing evidence that fresh subscription diets help dogs live longer than dogs eating properly formulated conventional diets,” she says.
If you switch, go slowly. The Farmer’s Dog recommends starting with 25% new food mixed into 75% of your dog’s current food.
How much does The Farmer’s Dog cost?
Your price depends mostly on your dog’s size. Here’s what we were quoted as of this writing for adult dogs on full portions of the standard recipes:
- Small dogs (5 to 10 pounds): about $2.80 to $4 a day, or $84 to $120 a month
- Medium dogs (30 to 40 pounds): about $5.80 to $6.60 a day, or $174 to $197 a month
- Large dogs (60 pounds): about $9.20 a day, or $276 a month
- Giant breeds (100 pounds): about $14.20 a day, or $427 a month
Your first box is 50% off, and shipping is always free. After that, bigger dogs get billed more often. Our 100-pound Bernese mountain dog was charged about $199 every two weeks, while small dogs were billed every eight weeks.
Half portions and toppers mixed into your dog’s current food lower the bill, and toppers start around $2.30 to $2.80 a day. For some dogs, you can select grain recipes made with oats that cost about 18% less.
How does The Farmer’s Dog work?
Signing up starts with a short quiz about your dog’s breed, age, weight and activity level. The Farmer’s Dog then suggests up to three recipes and a daily portion, and you choose full meals or a smaller portion to mix with your dog’s current food.
Food arrives frozen in an insulated box, with each pack labeled with your dog’s name and how much to serve each day. From your online account, you can change recipes, move delivery dates or pause your plan.
The Farmer’s Dog pros and cons
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Pros
- Vet-formulated recipes. Developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and backed by feeding trials.
- Real, minimally processed food. Mostly meat and organs, with no preservatives.
- Good for picky eaters. Fresh food’s taste can win over picky dogs, and if yours still won’t eat it, the company will suggest new recipes or refund you if you donate the food to a shelter.
Cons
- Cost for larger or multiple dogs. Big dogs can run more than $400 a month, and two dogs (30 and 60 pounds) came to about $422 a month, with a multi-dog discount of only about 6%.
- Half portions aren’t half price. In our testing, half portions cost 23% to 45% less than full meals, depending on the dog’s size.
- Freezer space and planning. You’ll need room to store frozen packs and remember to thaw them a day ahead. The shelf-stable Instant Fresh line helps if you travel.
How does The Farmer’s Dog compare with other fresh dog food?
The Farmer’s Dog was the least expensive of four fresh food subscriptions we priced for the same 60-pound Labrador, though Freshpet Custom Meals came in close behind. It’s also one of only two that offer a topper plan for owners who want to mix a little fresh food into kibble.
Beyond price, the differences are mostly practical, such as recipe options and delivery flexibility, so it’s worth comparing those against what your dog will eat.
Prices quoted in October 2026 for a 5-year-old, 60-pound Labrador on full portions, before first-order discounts.
Is The Farmer’s Dog worth it?
If your dog does well on it and the cost fits comfortably in your budget, The Farmer’s Dog delivers vet-formulated fresh food for less than most competitors we priced. If your dog is already healthy on a good kibble, though, there’s no proven health reason to switch, and Halligan says the money is better spent on preventive care like checkups and dental cleanings.
The Farmer's Dog
Up to 50% off your first box.
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Best dog food delivery services at a glance
- Best overall: The Farmer’s Dog
- Best for picky eaters: Ollie
- Best for flexible meal plans: The Pets Table
- Best recipe selection: JustFoodForDogs
- Best for easy portioning: Nom Nom
- Best for ingredient transparency: Open Farm
- Best for convenience: Chewy Get Real
Frequently asked questions
Does The Farmer’s Dog need to be refrigerated?
Yes, for the Fresh line. The Farmer’s Dog recommends storing packs in the freezer and thawing them in the fridge, which takes about 12 hours. Thawed packs last about four days. Instant Fresh is shelf-stable and goes into the pantry.
Is The Farmer’s Dog good for puppies?
Yes. Its Fresh recipes are labeled complete and balanced for all life stages, though the shelf-stable Instant Fresh line is for adult and senior dogs only.
Can you cancel The Farmer’s Dog at any time?
Yes. You can pause, cancel or restart your plan anytime from your online account.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is The Farmer’s Dog worth it? Here’s what it costs for small, medium and large dogs
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