Do you feel guilty about feeding your dog dry kibble while you’re eating fresh protein and produce? If so, a fresh dog food delivery service might be for you (no cooking or chopping necessary). Dog food delivery can be pricey, but it’s very convenient. Simply order a few weeks-worth of freshly made dog food right to your door, and then thaw what you need (if frozen) in the fridge.
The companies below offer multiple entrees choices that are free of preservatives and fillers. Most ship in eco-friendly packaging, and some even have a veterinary nutritionist on board. Check out our top contenders for the best fresh dog food delivery services. (We can see your dog’s big eyes begging you for it already.)
- Best Overall: The Farmer’s Dog
- Best Runner-Up: Nom Nom
- Best Variety: JustFoodForDogs
- Best Flexibility: PetPlate
- Easiest to Serve: Ollie
- Best Farm to Table: Spot & Tango
Best Overall: The Farmer’s Dog
Key Specs
- Average price: Around $5 per day for a 25-pound dogShipping frequency: One box every six weeksMade to order? YesFresh or frozen: Fresh
Why We Chose It
The Farmer’s Dog is one of the more well-known fresh dog food delivery companies. Food is delivered within days of cooking, and the company’s packaging is eco-friendly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Food is delivered within days of cookingAll packaging is recyclable or biodegradableEasy to change plan
Cons
- Does not offer pre-prepared foodExpensive
Overview
The Farmer’s Dog sends customized refrigerated food packets to your door within days of cooking. Simply cut open the packet, squeeze the food into your dog’s dish, and then fluff it with a fork. There are four recipe options to choose from—turkey, chicken, beef, and pork—and all recipes are personalized to suit your dog’s breed, activity level, and weight.
You can easily make changes to your plan, ordering more or less, or trying out different recipes until you decide what works best for your dog. And you can ask advice from team members, too, if you have questions.
Bonus: The Farmer’s Dog treats the environment with care. All food is boxed in recyclable packaging with biodegradable insulation (just run it under water and watch it disappear), and the food containers themselves are biodegradable and BPA-free.
Best Runner-up: Nom Nom
- Average price: Around $6 a day for a 30-pound dogShipping frequency: Adjustable, but defaults to once monthlyMade to order? YesFresh or frozen: Fresh
Non Nom has a veterinary nutritionist on staff and sources ingredients from local farms and ranches. In addition to its sustainability practices, Nom Nom is working toward zero food waste in its facilities, as well.
Pros:
- Veterinary nutritionist on staffAll packaging is recyclableOffers four different recipes, plus food for catsNo additives or preservatives
Cons:
- ExpensiveRequires monthly fridge or freezer spaceHard to customize orders
Nom Nom has four flavors to choose from—beef, chicken, pork, and turkey—and all ingredients come from U.S. farmers and ranchers. The company is committed to sustainably sourcing food, when possible, and all the packaging and insulation are recyclable.
Nom Nom provides videos and supplemental information on the website which explains dog nutrition and feeding tips from their veterinary nutritionist. However, it’s hard to figure out how to customize an order or change the portion sizes.
Nom Nom also offers beef and chicken jerky treats that are free of preservatives and extra ingredients, and fresh food subscriptions for cats.
Best Variety: JustFoodForDogs
- Average price: Around $6 a day for a 40-pound dogShipping frequency: Weekly, or up to every eight weeks; you can also choose in-store pickupMade to order? NoFresh or frozen: Fresh, plus shelf-stable meals
JustFoodForDogs offers seven different recipes made from locally-sourced food ingredients. The company also offers shelf-stable meals and a wide selection of supplements.
Offers seven different recipes, including fishOffers free local pickup locationsLess expensive than other optionsOffers shelf-stable meals
Need to calculate food amounts yourselfNot as fresh as made-to-order options
While most fresh dog food delivery services have four recipes, JustFoodForDogs has seven: fish, venison, chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, and a beef and lamb combo.
The company’s ingredients feature restaurant-quality meat, wild-caught cod, and locally-sourced produce. Everything can be shipped frozen to your house, or you can pick up your order for free at several nationwide locations. All meals are made by hand in kitchens that are open to the public.
JustFoodForDogs also offers pantry-fresh (shelf-table) dry food, jerky treats, supplements, and a DIY nutrient blend, if you want to try cooking for your pet at home.
At first, the company’s online feeding calculator helps you figure out how much food to feed your furry friend. After that, you can adjust your shipments and portion sizes based on your dog’s needs.
Best Flexibility: PetPlate
- Average price: Around $6 a day for a 40-pound dogShipping frequency: AdjustableMade to order? NoFresh or frozen: Frozen
PetPlate’s “topper plan" allows you to order a smaller amount of food meant to be mixed with your dog’s regular dry kibble. Plus, you can easily change recipes, delivery schedules, and order sizes.
Containers are easy to reseal and saveThe company provides detailed info about recipe benefits“Topper plan" lets you mix fresh food with dry kibble
Accessive packagingBulky containers take up room in the freezer
Easiest to Serve: Ollie
- Average price: Around $5 to $6 a day for a 20- to 40-pound dogShipping frequency: Every 4, 6, or 8 weeksMade to order? NoFresh or frozen: Fresh
The food from Ollie is made in small batches and shipments include a handy scoop and “puptainer” to serve and hold meals.
Recipes created by a veterinary nutritionistThe company provides peel-back, easy-to-serve food trays with portion scoopsDetailed nutritional information is provided
ExpensiveRequires defrosting
Ollie gives you four recipes to choose from: beef (includes beef, beef liver, and beef kidney), chicken, turkey, and lamb. The beef, turkey, and hormone-free chicken all come from farms in the U.S., while the pasture-raised lamb comes from free-range farms in the U.S. and Australia. Other ingredients include whole blueberries and peas, freshly chopped carrots and spinach, as well as chia seeds and fish oil.
All food is made in small batches in a New Jersey facility and it comes with a scoop to make serving portions easy. Plus, the meals come in convenient peel-and-serve trays.
Ollie containers are small and don’t take up a lot of room in the freezer. And the box, the food tray, and the liner (made from jute) are all recyclable.
Best Farm to Table: Spot & Tango
- Average price: Around $6.50 a day for a 25-pound dogShipping frequency: Every four weeksMade to order? NoFresh or frozen: Frozen
Spot & Tango uses only fresh, locally-farmed ingredients formulated into enticing recipes. It also uses only eco-friendly packaging.
Use TREEHUG50 to take 50% off your first Spot & Tango order. Afterward, the subscription will revert to full price for the next scheduled delivery.
Slim packagingPre-portioned servingsAlso offers preservative-free dry food
Only three recipes
Spot & Tango began in the founder’s kitchen where he and his wife made fresh food for their dogs. The food is still prepared in small batches in New York using locally-farmed ingredients.
The company offers just three recipes: turkey, beef, and lamb, yet has enticing combinations, despite the limited options. The turkey, for example, is combined with red quinoa, spinach, carrots, peas, apples, and eggs. The beef recipe has cranberries, and the lamb recipe includes blueberries. The company even has a “topper plan" if you want to mix some fresh food into your dog’s kibble.
Spot & Tango’s meals come in slim, pre-portioned, vacuum-sealed packs that store easily in the freezer. The box is recyclable and the insulation dissolves in water. The company also makes dry dog food called UnKibble made from beef, chicken, vegetables, and fruit, with no preservatives or fillers.
Final Verdict
The Farmer’s Dog won our pick for the best dog food delivery service due to its made-to-order freshness and recyclable packaging. The Farmer’s Dog also gives consumers access to nutritional information. And, the meals are easy to serve. Simply squeeze the food out of the package, and then fluff it with a fork.
Unlike some of the other options, The Farmer’s Dog takes care to fully customize the recipes and portion size to your pet. And, remarkably, meals are shipped within two days of cooking. All meals come refrigerated from the company’s kitchen—not frozen—ensuring the freshest dog food product on the market.
Compare the Best Dog Food Delivery Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fresh Food the Same as Raw Food?
Fresh and raw are not identical. These fresh delivery pet foods are cooked at low temperatures in small batches, then packaged and refrigerated or frozen before being shipped to you. Raw diets are not cooked. They can include raw organ or muscle meats (ground beef, chicken livers), eggs, ground bones, and fruits and vegetables that are safe for pets, like broccoli, carrots, and apples.
How Do You Serve Fresh Dog Food?
Most fresh foods come frozen and can be thawed the night before in the refrigerator. Depending on how the food is packaged, you can either scoop or squeeze a serving into your dog’s bowl. In some instances, you may want to heat the meal, with a touch of water, for a few seconds in the microwave.
How Are These Foods Different From Cooking for Your Dog at Home?
As well-intentioned as you might be, it can be hard to get the ingredients and nutrition right for a canine-specific diet. It’s not as simple as feeding your dog whatever you’re eating or just cooking up chicken and rice. The foods we listed here are enhanced with nutrients to make sure your pet is getting a well-rounded meal. If you want to cook for your dog, you can buy a DIY nutrient blend from JustFoodForDogs.
Is Fresh Food Best for Dogs?
While dogs may prefer the taste of fresh food to dry kibble, high-quality dry food can be just as nutritious as freshly prepared meals. That said, most fresh dog food services offer several different recipes (to combat food boredom) and source high-quality, farm-raised ingredients to assure an outstanding product with complete assimilation of nutrients.
Methodology
We compiled our list of fresh dog food delivery services by first looking at the ingredients, making sure all companies included whole sources of animal protein, whole food ingredients, and no preservatives or fillers. They all had to meet the nutritional standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a non-profit that sets standards for pet foods and animal feed in the U.S. And, all companies needed to have formulas created by a veterinary nutritionist.
We also made sure all the websites were intuitive, so you could easily enter your dog’s information and receive recommendations about how much to feed and which formula was best. We also ensured the companies’ packaging was minimal and that most, if not all, of the material, was recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.
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