The Farmer’s Dog: Everything Vets Wish You Knew
📋 Key Takeaways: The Unfiltered Truth About The Farmer’s Dog
| ❓ Critical Question | ✅ Honest Answer |
|---|---|
| Has The Farmer’s Dog ever been recalled? | NO—zero recalls since 2015 launch (exceptional safety record) |
| Who formulates the recipes? | Board-certified veterinary nutritionists (Dr. Joe Wakshlag, Cornell) |
| Is it AAFCO-compliant? | YES—meets/exceeds standards, 6-year feeding trial at Cornell |
| What’s the REAL monthly cost? | $78-$645/month depending on dog size, NOT $2/day for most dogs |
| Is it human-grade? | YES—made in USDA-inspected human food facilities |
| How many recipes available? | Only 4 proteins: turkey, beef, chicken, pork |
| What’s protein/fat/carb breakdown? | ~29% protein, ~36% fat, ~35% carbs (high fat requires portion control) |
| Are there delivery problems? | YES—major issues: early/late shipments, no delivery date control, unexpected charges |
| Can you pause/cancel easily? | Technically yes, but “cutoff dates” trap users into unwanted shipments |
| Is freezer space required? | YES—significant: 2 weeks to 2 months of frozen food |
| Does it really work for weight loss? | YES—pre-portioned, but high fat content (36%) requires veterinary monitoring |
| What about the packaging? | Daily plastic pouches (no perforations, scissors required, wasteful) |
💰 The $2/Day Myth That Becomes a $300/Month Reality
The Farmer’s Dog markets their pricing as “starting at $2/day”—which is technically true if you own a 5-pound Chihuahua. For everyone else, the math tells a different story.
📊 The REAL Monthly Cost Breakdown (Full Plan)
| 🐕 Dog Weight | 💵 Daily Cost | 📅 Weekly Cost | 📆 Monthly Cost | 📅 Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-10 lbs (toy breeds) | $2.60-$2.80 | $18-$20 | $78-$84 | $936-$1,008 |
| 20 lbs (small breeds) | $4.00-$5.50 | $28-$39 | $120-$165 | $1,440-$1,980 |
| 40 lbs (medium breeds) | $7.00-$8.50 | $49-$60 | $210-$255 | $2,520-$3,060 |
| 60 lbs (large breeds) | $10.00-$12.00 | $70-$84 | $300-$360 | $3,600-$4,320 |
| 80+ lbs (giant breeds) | $14.00-$21.40 | $98-$150 | $420-$645 | $5,040-$7,740 |
💡 The Critical Reality: That adorable 70-pound Golden Retriever from the Super Bowl commercial? $300-400 per month minimum. For context, premium kibble (Orijen, Acana) costs $80-120/month for the same dog.
📊 Cost Comparison: The Farmer’s Dog vs. Alternatives
| 🥘 Food Type | 🐕 60lb Dog Monthly | 📊 Protein Quality | 💰 Value Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Farmer’s Dog | $300-360 | Exceptional (human-grade whole meats) | Premium nutrition, premium price |
| Nom Nom | $375+ | Exceptional (human-grade) | More expensive than TFD |
| Ollie | $365+ | Exceptional (human-grade) | More expensive than TFD |
| Premium kibble (Orijen) | $80-120 | Very good (meat meals) | 75% cheaper, 80% of nutrition |
| Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried | $200-280 | Exceptional (raw, HPP) | Middle ground option |
| Homemade + Balance.it | $120-180 | Variable (depends on recipes) | Labor-intensive but cheaper |
💡 The Value Paradox: The Farmer’s Dog is actually the cheapest fresh food subscription (Nom Nom and Ollie cost 15-20% more), but it’s 3-4x more expensive than premium kibble that delivers comparable nutrition for most healthy dogs.
📦 The “60% Off Trial” Trap Nobody Explains
The Farmer’s Dog heavily advertises “60% off your first box”—which sounds incredible until you understand the subscription mechanics.
📋 How the Trial Actually Works
| 📅 Timeline | 💵 What Happens | ⚠️ Hidden Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Order “60% off” 2-week trial | You enter payment info for “trial” |
| Day 14 | Trial box arrives | Seems great—dogs love it! |
| Day 17-20 | Automatic full-price charge | NO notification before charge |
| Day 21-24 | Full shipment ships | Can’t cancel—”cutoff date” passed |
| Day 25-28 | $200-300+ shipment arrives | You’re locked into subscription |
💡 The Critical Problem: The company charges your card and ships the next full-price order before you’ve even finished the trial. The “cutoff date” to cancel or modify arrives while you’re still evaluating whether it works for your dog.
Real BBB Complaint (2024):
“They charged my card and shipped a $300 order before the trial period even ended. When I called to cancel, they said the cutoff had passed even though the food hadn’t shipped yet. I was stuck paying for 50 days of food when I only wanted 14 days to try it.”
🚚 The Delivery Disaster That Derails Subscriptions
For a company charging $300+/month, The Farmer’s Dog has shocking delivery problems documented across every review platform.
📊 Reported Delivery Issues (Consistent Pattern Across Reviews)
| ⚠️ Problem Type | 📊 Frequency | 💡 Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Arrives days early | Very common | Freezer space overwhelmed, must scramble storage |
| Arrives days late | Very common | Dog runs out of food, forced to buy backup kibble |
| No control over delivery date | Universal complaint | Can’t align with payday, travel, or schedule |
| “Preparing food” excuse for delays | Common | Customer service admits it’s “waiting for carrier pickup” |
| Charged before shipping | Standard practice | Pay $300+ then wait indefinitely for shipment |
| No tracking until day-of | Standard | Can’t plan to be home for frozen delivery |
Real Customer Experiences (2024):
“Sometimes I get my order days early (which is a problem as I have limited storage space). Other times it arrives days late (which is a problem because I run out of food). You never know when an order is coming until the day it is arriving.” – Trustpilot, Dec 2024
“They claim to be ‘preparing’ the food, however, when I called, the woman told me they’re waiting on the carrier to pick it up. When I followed up again, they said it was still being prepared. Which is it?” – Sitejabber, 2024
“They’ll charge your card and not ship in a timely manner. So you’ll always run out of food. Customer service is of no help.” – Sitejabber, 2024
💡 The Operational Reality: The Farmer’s Dog appears to have hypergrowth logistics problems—demand outpacing infrastructure. The Super Bowl ad brought massive customer influx, but the delivery partner (not disclosed) can’t handle volume consistently.
🔬 The Nutrition Science That Actually Works (When It Arrives)
Amid the cost concerns and delivery chaos, here’s what The Farmer’s Dog gets genuinely right about nutrition—and it’s substantial.
📊 Nutritional Credentials (Legitimately Exceptional)
| ✅ Credential | 📋 Details | 💡 Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Board-certified nutritionists | Dr. Joe Wakshlag (DVM, PhD, DACVIM) + team | NOT pet food marketers—actual veterinary PhDs |
| 6-year Cornell feeding trial | 25% more dogs, 5x more blood tests than AAFCO requires | Industry gold standard exceeded significantly |
| AAFCO “all life stages” | Safe for puppies, adults, seniors (including large breed puppies) | No calcium excess causing hip dysplasia |
| WSAVA Diamond Partner | Meets World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines | Highest industry transparency standards |
| Human-grade certification | Made in USDA-inspected human food facilities | NOT just ingredients—entire process meets human food standards |
| Zero recalls | Perfect safety record since 2015 | Compare to Nutro (4 recalls), Hill’s (1 massive recall) |
📊 Digestibility Comparison (Clinical Research)
| 🥘 Food Type | 📊 Protein Digestibility | 💡 What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| The Farmer’s Dog | 91-93% | Dog’s body can absorb/use 91-93% of protein |
| Premium kibble | 75-85% | Decent absorption, some waste |
| Budget kibble | 64-72% | Nearly half the protein passes through undigested |
| Raw food (non-HPP) | 85-90% | High but pathogen risk without processing |
💡 The Science Translation: When you feed The Farmer’s Dog, 91-93 cents of every protein dollar actually nourishes your dog. With budget kibble, only 64-72 cents get absorbed—the rest becomes expensive poop.
🍖 The Macronutrient Profile That Requires Veterinary Monitoring
Here’s where The Farmer’s Dog’s nutrition gets complicated—and where many vets raise concerns.
📊 Dry Matter Nutrient Analysis
| 📊 Nutrient | 📋 Average % | ⚠️ Assessment | 💡 Clinical Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~29% | Good (meets AAFCO 18% minimum) | Adequate for most dogs, not ultra-high |
| Fat | ~36% | VERY HIGH (AAFCO minimum is 5.5%) | Requires portion control—obesity risk |
| Carbs | ~35% | Moderate | Acceptable range (30-50%) |
| Moisture | 70%+ (as fed) | Very high | Water content inflates “fullness” |
💡 The Fat Problem: At 36% fat on dry matter basis, The Farmer’s Dog is formulated for highly active dogs—think working breeds, agility competitors, sled dogs. For the average couch-potato Golden Retriever, this fat level can cause:
- Rapid weight gain if portions aren’t precisely measured
- Pancreatitis risk in predisposed breeds (Miniature Schnauzers, Yorkshire Terriers)
- Calorie-dense portions that leave food-motivated dogs hungry
📊 Breed-Specific Fat Tolerance
| 🐕 Dog Type | ✅ Ideal for TFD? | ⚠️ Veterinary Monitoring Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Working breeds (Huskies, Malamutes, Border Collies doing agility) | ✅ YES | Monitor for healthy weight maintenance |
| Athletic breeds (Vizslas, Weimaraners with daily runs) | ✅ YES | Ideal fat content for energy needs |
| Moderate activity (daily 30-min walk) | ⚠️ MAYBE | YES—vet must calculate portions precisely |
| Low activity (seniors, couch dogs, apartment dogs) | ⚠️ RISKY | YES—may gain weight rapidly |
| Pancreatitis-prone breeds (Schnauzers, Yorkies, Cocker Spaniels) | ⚠️ CONSULT VET | CRITICAL—fat may trigger episodes |
🧊 The Freezer Space Reality Nobody Warns About
The Farmer’s Dog requires significant freezer real estate—and this isn’t mentioned in the marketing.
📊 Freezer Space Requirements
| 🐕 Dog Size | 📦 2-Week Delivery | 📦 4-Week Delivery | 📦 8-Week Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (10-20 lbs) | Shoebox size (~200 cubic inches) | Small moving box | Half a freezer shelf |
| Medium (40-50 lbs) | Medium moving box | Entire freezer shelf | Entire small freezer |
| Large (70-90 lbs) | Entire freezer shelf | Entire upright freezer | Requires second freezer |
💡 The Apartment Dweller Problem: If you live in a typical apartment with a fridge/freezer combo, a medium-large dog’s 4-week supply fills the entire freezer. No room for human food, ice cream, or frozen vegetables.
Real Customer Complaint (BBB 2024):
“The packages are too big for one feeding—they contain an entire day’s worth of food. It takes too long to get the package to room temperature, and there are no markings on the bag to recommend the exact amount for each feeding.”
♻️ The Packaging Waste Problem (Environmental Reality)
For an environmentally conscious company, The Farmer’s Dog has a packaging problem nobody discusses.
📊 Packaging Reality
| 📦 Component | 📋 Material | ♻️ Environmental Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Daily food pouches | Plastic (not recyclable in most areas) | 365 pouches/year for one dog |
| Outer box | Cardboard (recyclable) | Every 2-8 weeks |
| Insulation | Corn starch (compostable) OR curbside recyclable | Better than styrofoam |
| Dry ice | CO2 (evaporates) | Safety hazard if mishandled |
💡 The Plastic Reality: If you feed The Farmer’s Dog exclusively to one medium dog, you generate ~365 plastic pouches annually that require scissors to open (no perforations) and aren’t recyclable in most municipal programs.
Safety Concern (Real BBB Complaint):
“No where was I informed that this product was packed in frozen CO2. I thought it was ice, picked it up and put hot water on it. It burned my thumb, started smoking, and we started getting sick. My dogs are only 5 pounds, they could have died!! Why is there no warning label about safe handling procedures?”
📞 The Customer Service Paradox (24/7 Access, Inconsistent Results)
The Farmer’s Dog offers 24/7 customer service via phone and email—which sounds exceptional until you read the complaint pattern.
📊 Customer Service Experience Pattern
| ✅ Positive Aspects | ⚠️ Negative Aspects |
|---|---|
| 24/7 phone availability (646-780-7957) | “Cutoff date” excuses prevent cancellation |
| Average wait time <1 minute | Can’t modify orders after “cutoff” even if not shipped |
| 94% reach real person | Dismissive responses to food quality concerns |
| Helpful for portion adjustments | No resolution for delivery timing issues |
| Excellent for recipe changes | Charge card before shipping, then claim can’t cancel |
| Compassionate when pets pass away | Inconsistent stories (food “preparing” vs “waiting for carrier”) |
💡 The Two-Tier Experience: Customers report exceptional service for routine questions (portions, recipes, account changes) but dismissive, unhelpful responses for serious complaints (sick dogs, billing issues, delivery failures).
Real BBB Complaint Pattern (2024):
“My dog consumed food dated February 21, clearly within the recall window they identified March 15 (discard beef dated on or before March 6). My dog vomited within an hour, then had 4 days of loose stool. My vet confirmed pancreatitis. Their response was dismissive, lacked accountability, and felt more like denial than concern.”
🐕 The “My Dog Got Sick” Reports (Small But Concerning Pattern)
While The Farmer’s Dog has zero official recalls, BBB and review sites document a small but consistent pattern of illness reports.
📊 Reported Symptoms (Occasional, Not Widespread)
| 🤢 Symptom | 📊 Frequency | ⚠️ Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Vomiting within hours | Uncommon (isolated reports) | Often linked to beef recipe, specific dates |
| Loose stool/diarrhea | Uncommon | May be normal transition without gradual introduction |
| Increased hunger | Occasional | “Excess water in packaging” reported |
| Pancreatitis | Very rare (isolated cases) | High fat content in predisposed breeds |
| Food refusal | Occasional | Picky eaters, texture preference |
💡 The Critical Context: The Farmer’s Dog serves hundreds of thousands of dogs. Isolated illness reports are statistically inevitable even with perfect food (dogs get sick from non-food causes). However, the pattern differs from Nutro’s widespread complaints:
The Farmer’s Dog: Isolated cases, often specific batches/dates, company responsive Nutro (comparison): Hundreds of identical complaints across years, company dismissive
The Beef Recipe Concern (BBB Complaints 2024):
Multiple complaints specifically mention beef recipe batches with:
- “Higher moisture than normal”
- “Excess water in packaging”
- “Different texture than usual”
- Illness occurring after consuming these specific batches
The company’s response indicates they caught these in quality checks and should have retested before shipping—suggesting quality control processes work but aren’t perfect 100% of the time.
🔍 What The Farmer’s Dog Won’t Tell You (But Should)
Here are the critical details buried in fine print or discovered only through experience:
1. The “Free Trial” Isn’t Actually Free
You pay full price ($80-300+) for the trial, then receive 60% off as store credit toward future orders. This means you’re financially committed before knowing if it works.
2. The “All Life Stages” Claim Has Nuances
While AAFCO-approved for puppies, the high fat content means large breed puppies require careful portion control to avoid excessive growth rates and joint problems.
3. Limited Ingredient Options = Allergy Nightmare
Only 4 proteins (turkey, beef, chicken, pork) means:
- No lamb, duck, venison, or fish for dogs with common protein allergies
- No single-protein options (recipes include multiple ingredients)
- Dogs allergic to chicken have only 3 options
4. The Subscription Model Has Hidden Inflexibility
- Can’t choose specific delivery dates (system calculates based on usage)
- “Cutoff dates” prevent changes even when food hasn’t shipped
- Charged before shipment leaves facility
- Pausing requires advance notice beyond cutoff
5. Recipe Consistency Problems (Recent Complaints)
Multiple 2024 reviews report recipe changes not communicated to customers:
- Beef texture changed from “chunks” to “mushy”
- Color changed to “green”
- Dogs who loved original recipe refuse new version
- Company confirms “cooking method changed” but doesn’t update website photos
💡 The Bottom Line: Premium Nutrition With Premium Complications
The Farmer’s Dog represents a genuine nutritional upgrade from kibble—but it’s not for everyone, and the company isn’t transparent about the catches.
Legitimately Exceptional:
- Zero recalls in 9 years (exceptional safety)
- Board-certified veterinary nutritionists (actual PhDs, not marketers)
- 6-year Cornell feeding trial exceeding industry standards
- 91-93% protein digestibility (far superior to kibble’s 64-75%)
- Human-grade USDA facilities (highest manufacturing standards)
- Convenient pre-portioned meals (eliminates guesswork)
Requires Honest Acknowledgment:
- $78-$645/month cost (3-4x premium kibble)
- High fat content (36%) requires vet monitoring for inactive dogs
- Major delivery problems—early/late shipments, no date control
- Significant freezer space required (entire shelf for medium dogs)
- Only 4 proteins—no options for dogs with common allergies
- 365 plastic pouches/year environmental waste
- Subscription mechanics trap users into charges before trial ends
- Recipe changes not communicated, documented quality inconsistencies
💡 The Honest Recommendation:
The Farmer’s Dog is worth it if you:
- Have small-medium dogs ($80-200/month is affordable)
- Have freezer space to dedicate
- Have an active dog who needs high-fat fuel
- Value nutrition enough to accept delivery unpredictability
- Can absorb $300+ unexpected charges if cutoff dates surprise you
Skip The Farmer’s Dog if you:
- Have large dogs ($300-600+/month is cost-prohibitive)
- Live in apartments with limited freezer space
- Have multiple dogs (costs multiply)
- Need allergy-friendly proteins (lamb, fish, venison)
- Require reliable delivery timing
- Have pancreatitis-prone breeds (high fat is risky)
The Compromise Solution: Use The Farmer’s Dog as a 50% topper mixed with premium kibble (Orijen, Acana). This delivers 80% of nutritional benefits at 50% of cost while maintaining freezer sanity and budget sustainability.
The Farmer’s Dog isn’t perfect—but it’s the best fresh food subscription when you understand and can accommodate the limitations. Just don’t believe the “$2/day” marketing, prepare for delivery chaos, and have a vet calculate portions for your specific dog’s activity level.
