Fresh Dog Food, Part Two: Trying The Farmer’s Dog With Mia

This week’s review is my next “Fresh Dog Food” installment. The last time we tried a few different things together was Paul (my 13-year-old Senior Golden Retriever). That was all I needed for a while – Paul has earned a break from my ‘research mode’ at mealtime.

This week, my partner in our adventures will be my friend’s Cane Corso, Mia. Mia is an active girl; She doesn’t have any particular preferences as far as what she eats or how often; And since our objective was not some grand, dramatic transformation of Mia’s physique, but rather just a simple, structured fresh food diet that would continue to support the shape she is in right now… without turning daily feeding into a big project.

In short: Paul is resting, Mia is helping, and I’m reporting.

The 60-second takeaways

This is a quiz-first brand. You don’t “shop a catalog” first – you build a plan.
You do get real choices after the quiz (recipes + feeding approach), but you have to click a bit to find them.
You’ll see pricing in “per day” terms, which makes it easier to sanity-check.
Packaging is designed to be idiot-proof: each pack includes simple feeding guidance, so you’re not constantly reopening the website.
Real-life note from Mia’s month: she sometimes skipped larger vegetable chunks (like big pieces of broccoli/carrots), which is worth knowing if your dog is a “texture negotiator.”
For humans, the single biggest benefit is convenience: these packs are travel-friendly (cooler bag, fridge/freezer, grab-and-serve).

Let’s see what they offer you after the quiz

At The Farmer’s Dog, the quiz acts as the “front door” and after answering several questions, rather than being dropped into a massive catalog, the site will immediately present you with a plan – the recommended recipes, a recommended feeding strategy, and the price of the trial in clear “per day” terms.

It can appear almost overly streamlined at first glance, and perhaps even slightly push you toward checkout. However, an essential lesson I learned while clicking through was that you’re NOT locked into one default plan.

Once you continue through the process, there are two elements you can modify based upon actual factors:

1) Selecting Recipes (you may change the recommendations)

On my screen, I found the “Build Mia’s Plan” section, where I could select up to 3 different recipes. In the “Build Mia’s Plan” section, you’ll find the “Our Pick” labels on many of the available recipe options. You’ll have a variety of main choices including Chicken & Grain, Pork & Grain, Turkey, Beef, and Chicken.

Additionally, you’ll be able to click “See Details” to view the ingredients of each recipe prior to adding them to your cart. As far as the flow goes, it seems to start off by saying “this is what we recommend for you,” however, you are absolutely allowed to make changes.

2) Feeding Strategy (Full Fresh or Mixing with Your Current Food)

The second major element that you can change is how you feed your pet. You can either do a Full Fresh Diet (change everything over to fresh food) or you can Mix with Other Foods (do some fresh food, and some non-fresh food).

The ‘mix’ option is a great way for those that are new to fresh food to give the routine a try without it feeling like a huge life change.

Here is the best part: the instructions are right on the packages. You don’t have to continually check the website. If you are doing a full plan, the package might simply state “one packet per day.” If you are doing a ‘mix’, the packaging might state something like “half a packet per day”.

And, the package is labeled with the name of the specific recipe (e.g., Chicken & Grain Recipe), so your pet is fed consistently, regardless of whether you’re using a full plan or a mix plan, and that is particularly helpful for those that are new to fresh food and looking for something easy to follow.

Trying it with Mia for a month

Overall, Mia had no trouble eating the food (no stories about how she struggled or had to be fed separately). However, there was a single practical advantage my friend saw immediately – the single advantage explained why this style of fresh food might work better than “DIY” homemade, human-style fresh meals.

Prior to The Farmer’s Dog, when Mia was provided with homemade, human-style, fresh meals she would frequently bypass large pieces – large chunks of vegetables on the plate or large pieces of meat. She will eat small, bite-sized pieces of food just fine; however, she does not fit into the category of dogs who will enthusiastically consume an entire piece of food. Whether based upon preference, laziness, or texture, the behavior was consistent.

The benefit of The Farmer’s Dog, with regards to this specific subject, simply eliminated that problem. Though the food from The Farmer’s Dog was still categorized as “fresh,” it was portioned out in portions and broken down into smaller pieces – making it easier for Mia to eat without requiring a lot of extra chewing of the large food pieces. The results were easy to see: She ate every single one of her portions consistently and completed every single one of her meals – which is exactly what you want to happen if your goal is to have a consistent feeding routine rather than a difficult feeding procedure.

What I found in reviews outside their website

You wanted me to look at the broader review picture, so I’ve provided that here:

The Farmer’s Dog has an overall 4-Star Rating and a ton of reviews on Trustpilot, where most reviewers are praising the food, and how much their dogs love it, in addition to customer service (Trustpilot)
As part of its accreditation with the BBB, they allow consumers to view complaint counts by year (similarly to other larger brands with long-term subscriptions). (BBB)
In critical reviews (BBB and Reddit-style experiences), the themes are usually: shipping/temperature concerns, dogs not tolerating the food, or frustration around cancellations/refunds if expectations weren’t clear. (BBB)

What I’m seeing: This appears to be a traditional model for a subscription product of a certain scale. The majority of satisfied customers are talking about convenience and being able to visibly observe improvements; the majority of dissatisfied customers are complaining about logistical issues (billing, shipping) or how their pet did not tolerate the food – neither of which could be anticipated with any type of food.

Pros & cons

Pros

Very clear onboarding: quiz → plan → trial pricing shown early
Portioning is the product (less guesswork)
Strong on-site social proof (videos, real dogs, handles you can verify)
Works well for people who want structure but don’t want to cook

Cons

Quiz-first can feel restrictive if you prefer browsing a catalog first
As with any shipped fresh food, outcomes depend on logistics + your dog’s tolerance (and reviews reflect that) (BBB)
Subscription brands can create “billing anxiety” if you don’t like recurring orders – worth keeping an eye on delivery cadence

Who it’s for

I believe The Farmer’s Dog would best suit those interested in serving fresh food without creating an additional full-time job. If you are looking for a routine that is pre-portioned and pre-planned – with no need to guess what amount to give your dog each day or continuously search for “How much food should my dog have?” – then this is a perfect service for you.

The Farmer’s Dog also has a quiz first design that would be beneficial to you if you do not enjoy endlessly searching through product pages or planning out your own meal plans for your dog. Essentially, the service allows you to complete a quiz one time, receive a plan, and serve your dog by simply following the pre-measured packs.

I also think that this is a good option for your dog if they are similar to Mia – not extremely picky overall; however, will only accept food when it is presented in a specific manner. If your dog typically leaves large portions of food in a homemade meal (or does not enjoy eating large portions of tough food) – the small, pre-prepared portions of this fresh food may provide a more effortless experience for your dog to consume fresh foods.

Additionally, if your dog has dental problems, is missing teeth, or is no longer a heavy chewer – the soft, pre-portioned, and easy to eat format of this fresh food may allow for continued quality meal options while minimizing the effort required from your dog to eat.

Final verdict

By 2026, The Farmer’s Dog will seem as if it is a highly focused product: It doesn’t want to be a pet store – it wants to be an automated feeding system.

It does what it claims to do for those that like structure and a pre-portioned meal along with a plan that they can follow. Those looking for a wide variety of food options and the ability to have total control over their purchasing decisions at the time of checkout may find the quiz-based design to be a bit too aggressive in encouraging the user to make the final purchase decision – but that is precisely the reason why it makes the process of completing the purchase less fatiguing.

FAQ

Is The Farmer’s Dog subscription-only?
Yes – everything is built around a plan and recurring deliveries. (BBB)

Why do they make you take a quiz?
Because the quiz is how they calculate portions and build your plan. It’s the core of the buying experience.

Are outside reviews mostly positive or mixed?
Mostly positive overall on large platforms, with predictable negatives around logistics/billing expectations and dog tolerance (which varies by dog). (Trustpilot)

Is it good for maintaining a dog’s condition (not weight loss)?
It can be, because the plan is portioned and structured – but results depend on the dog and the exact calorie target chosen.