The Farmer’s Dog - Fresh Food vs. Chewy: Which Service Deserves a Spot in Your Pup’s Bowl?

Fresh pet food is booming. U.S. pet parents spent US $65.8 billion on food and treats in 2024 alone—up 2.1 percent year-over-year. With money on the line, it pays to know whether The Farmer’s Dog - Fresh Food vs. Chewy offers better overall value. This guide breaks down cost, nutrition, convenience, and more so you can choose with confidence.

Overview: The Farmer’s Dog vs. Chewy

The Farmer’s Dog

The Farmer’s Dog is a direct-to-consumer fresh dog food service that delivers human-grade, vet-developed meals tailored to your dog’s specific needs. Each recipe is gently cooked, pre-portioned, and shipped frozen on a flexible subscription plan, making it easy to feed your dog a balanced diet without the guesswork.

Key Features:

• Fresh, USDA-certified ingredients
• Customized meal plans based on breed, age, weight, and activity
• Subscription-only model with delivery every 2–8 weeks
• AAFCO-compliant and vet-reviewed recipes

Chewy

Chewy is a massive online pet retailer offering everything from dry kibble to prescription diets and fresh food brands like JustFoodForDogs. Unlike The Farmer’s Dog, Chewy doesn’t make its own food but provides access to a broad range of premium and budget-friendly options—with autoship discounts and fast delivery.

Key Features:

• Sells fresh, dry, wet, raw, and vet-prescribed foods
• Multiple brand options including JustFoodForDogs, Freshpet, and Tylee’s
• Flexible Autoship for recurring savings
• One-cart convenience for toys, meds, and more

The Key Differences at a Glance

Factor	The Farmer’s Dog	Chewy (JustFoodForDogs example*)	Quick Take
Format	Subscription, pre-portioned packs	à-la-carte or Autoship, 12-oz pouches / frozen packs	Subscription vs. mix-and-match
Price per 25-lb adult (est.)	≈ $4 / day†	≈ $3.54 / day‡	Chewy wins on raw dollars
Ingredient grade	100 % human-grade, cooked fresh	100 % USDA-inspected human-grade	Comparable quality
Meets AAFCO?	Yes—complete & balanced	Yes—formulated to AAFCO profiles	Nutrition tie
Shipping window	2-day delivery in insulated box with dry ice	1-3-day ground shipping for most addresses	Chewy is faster for small add-ons
Sustainability	Curb-side-recyclable #4 packs; dissolvable liners	Dry-ice/insulated for frozen items; cardboard & #4 liners	Slight edge to Farmer’s Dog

Cost & Value: More Than a Line on Your Credit-Card Bill

The Farmer’s Dog advertises prices as low as $2.49 to $21.42 per day, driven by a dog’s size, age, and caloric needs. Most mid-size owners report paying about $4–5/day—still less than the average latte. Autoship discounts aren’t offered, but new-customer promos can knock 20 percent off the first shipment.

Chewy’s JustFoodForDogs starts near $0.59 per ounce when you buy seven-pouch bundles. Activate Autoship and you’ll pocket 35 percent off the first delivery (max $20) and 5 percent on repeats. Add-on savings—like 30-percent flash coupons—sweeten bigger baskets.

Bottom line: Heavy feeders or multi-dog households save up-front with Chewy, especially once Autoship and sitewide promos stack. Single-dog owners who crave simplified budgeting may prefer Farmer’s Dog’s flat, predictable charges.

Ingredient Quality & Nutrition: Human-Grade or Marketing Hype?

Every Farmer’s Dog recipe contains real meat (turkey, beef, chicken, pork) plus vegetables like kale or sweet potato. All meals meet AAFCO adult or all-life-stage profiles without added fillers. Low-temp cooking locks in amino acids while destroying pathogens.

JustFoodForDogs follows the same playbook—USDA-certified meats and produce cooked in open-to-the-public kitchens. Each veterinary-formulated recipe prints its full nutrient analysis on the pouch and explicitly states AAFCO compliance.

Omega-3/-6 balance & protein: AAFCO requires crude protein minimums of 22.5 % (growth) and 18 % (adult) on a dry-matter basis. Both brands satisfy—or exceed—these thresholds. Independent lab tests published on brand sites routinely show 30-plus percent protein for beef formulas.

Digestibility: Fresh-cooked diets score 90 %+ digestibility in peer-reviewed feeding trials, meaning more nutrients reach your dog’s cells. Lower waste also means fewer backyard surprises—a sleeper benefit rarely touted in ads.

Convenience & Flexibility: Deliveries on Your Schedule

Farmer’s Dog lets you choose deliveries every 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks. Need to travel? Pause with one click; frozen packs keep 6 months.

Chewy already feels like Amazon for pets. Add JFFD to the cart alongside flea meds, toys, and standard kibble. Most items arrive within 1–3 days and ship free at $49+. Frozen food travels in insulated boxes with dry ice (Chewy FAQ). The catch: you manage portioning yourself—no tidy daily packs.

Packaging & Planet: Small Footprints, Big Paw Prints

Farmer’s Dog meals ship in cardboard lined with biodegradable or curb-side-recyclable insulation; packs are #4 plastic, accepted by many community drop-offs.

Chewy/JFFD uses similar materials but leans on dry-ice cooling. Dry ice sublimates safely, yet expanded-polystyrene coolers still appear on some SKUs—check the product page before ordering. If greener packaging tops your list, Farmer’s Dog has a slight edge.

Customer Support & Guarantees

• Farmer’s Dog: Live chat plus SMS; a 100 percent money-back trial if your dog refuses to eat.
• Chewy: 24/7 phone, chat, and famously generous returns—365 days on most items. Many pet parents rave about refunds issued without requiring product returns.

Both companies offer veterinary-staffed customer teams for feeding-transition questions, but Chewy’s ecosystem (pharmacy, insurance, fresh food, and litter in one cart) is unmatched for all-in-one convenience.

Real-World Scenarios: Which Fits Your Lifestyle?

1. Budget-Conscious Multi-Dog Family
   You rotate proteins and hunt deals. Chewy’s Autoship plus bundle promos shave dollars every month.
2. Small-Apartment Dweller With Tiny Freezer
   Farmer’s Dog’s pre-portioned packs prevent fridge overflow and food waste.
3. Green-Minded Owner
   Farmer’s Dog packaging dissolves or recycles easily; Chewy’s evolving but not fully curb-side.
4. “One-Cart” Shopper
   Buying flea meds, treats, and fresh food at the same checkout? Chewy.
5. Skin-Allergy Dog
   Both offer limited-ingredient turkey or fish recipes that meet AAFCO; consult your vet if prescription is required.

What Do Real Users Say? (Reviews Snapshot)

The Farmer’s Dog

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Our picky eater finally finishes her meals!”
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Pricey, but worth it for the quality and peace of mind.”
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Saw real improvements in coat and energy.”

Chewy

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Excellent variety and fast delivery every time.”
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Customer service is the best I’ve dealt with.”
• ⭐⭐⭐ “Hard to know which food is truly high quality.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chewy make its own fresh food?
No. Chewy is a retailer; it partners with brands like JustFoodForDogs and Freshpet to sell fresh or gently cooked meals.

Is The Farmer’s Dog cheaper than Chewy?
On a pure cost-per-ounce basis, Chewy’s JustFoodForDogs often wins. Total monthly spend depends on dog size, delivery fees, and promo stacking.

Can I mix Farmer’s Dog with dry kibble?
Yes. Many owners practice “half-fresh” feeding to stretch budgets while boosting palatability. Both brands recommend a gradual 7-day transition.

Is fresh food really better than kibble?
Fresh diets usually feature higher moisture, fewer fillers, and minimal processing, aligning closer to a canine ancestral diet. Always demand AAFCO or NRC adequacy statements before switching.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Bowl

Pet-food spending keeps rising because owners demand better nutrition and convenience. The Farmer’s Dog fresh food vs. Chewy isn’t a matter of good versus bad; it’s about matching service strengths to your reality.

Pick Farmer’s Dog if you crave portion-controlled packs, eco-forward packaging, and a predictable subscription.
Pick Chewy (JustFoodForDogs) if you juggle multiple pets, chase coupons, or want all supplies in one box.

Either way, stick with brands that meet AAFCO nutrient profiles, store food safely, and monitor your dog’s weight and coat. For deeper budgeting tips, see our internal fresh dog food cost guide and dog food toppers explainer—ideal next reads.

The responses below are not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any financial entity or advertiser. It is not the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.