It happens to the best of us: You go to feed your excited dog for the night, only to find that you ran out of their favorite wet food and have to make a last-minute pet store run. Or, perhaps, your dog is a picky eater and you haven’t quite found the right food for his very particular tastes. Dog food delivery services add some ease to your life by delivering dog food directly to your door at the exact time you need it (so you conveniently won’t run out of refills). Plus, most brands have a great variety of recipes that might make your dog more excited for meal time.
To help you determine the best dog food delivery service for your pup’s needs, I spoke to four veterinarians about what to consider when shopping for one. I also got their recommendations for the best services to shop, as well as options NBC Select staffers feed their own dogs.
SKIP AHEAD How I picked the best dog food delivery services | Best dog food delivery services | What are the benefits of dog food delivery services? | Why trust NBC Select?
How I picked the best dog food delivery services
When shopping for a reliable dog food brand that delivers to your door, vets recommend considering the following factors:
- Meets AAFCO standards: The most important thing to look for when shopping for pet food is quality. “Many food companies for pet food are not regulated by FDA, so many false claims can be added to food,” says Dr. Miriam Fink, medical director at Bond Vet. The easiest way to check is whether or not the diet has been approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which means the food has been tested by an independent lab to guarantee food safety by an outside source. “If the food is not AAFCO approved, this can mean that testing was only done internally, and no regulating body performed a secondary confirmatory test,” says Fink. All of the services I recommend meet AAFCO standards.
- Your dog’s specific nutritional needs: This includes their age, breed, activity level, allergies and any health conditions. All dog food packaging should have a visible guide that indicates how much food your pet needs on a daily basis based on their weight and age. Each service I recommend has specific nutritional information on the packaging and/or website, as well as various meal plans for different breeds, weights and/or ages.
- Customizability: Most brands have an introductory questionnaire that lets them know more about your dog’s needs and preferences, which helps the service tailor the specific food and meal plans to your pet. Consider how often you’ll be receiving your pet’s food and whether you can customize or modify delivery dates, too. All of the below brands let you change the frequency of your deliveries or delay/skip a delivery when needed.
- Cost: Dog food subscriptions and delivery services are typically more expensive than store bought food, so consider cost efficiency versus convenience.
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Best dog food delivery services
Best overall: Ollie
- Customizable plans
- Both fresh and dry options
- Resealable packaging
- Nothing to note at this time
Ollie is a favorite of NBC Select senior manager of commerce analytics Amanda Smith, who feeds this service to her picky, 3-year-old rat terrier Mac. “I started adding a new food to Mac’s line up and it has completely changed the game. He’s never been very food motivated and suddenly he’s begging for meal time,” she says. “I bought him talking buttons years ago and he’s finally using the food one. He’s been too scared [to use the buttons] until last week when we started using Ollie.”
The service first requires you to take a short quiz that asks your dog’s current weight, ideal weight, spay/neuter status and activity level. You can choose between three plans: full fresh (pouches that include real meat, fruits, veggies and grains), mixed (half portion of Ollie’s fresh food and half of Ollie’s dry food) and half fresh (half portion of Ollie’s fresh food to mix with your dog’s typical food). Here’s a cost breakdown for each plan:
- Full fresh: $22 per week (small dogs), $55 per week (medium dogs), $69 per week (large dogs)
- Mixed bowl: $19 per week (small dogs), $45 per week (medium dogs), $59 per week (large dogs)
- Half fresh: $15 per week (small dogs), $38 per week (medium dogs), $41 per week (large dogs)
You can choose from up to five fresh recipes, including pork, chicken, beef, lamb and turkey, and two dry food options if you select the mixed bowl plan. (Once you sign up, you’ll get a two-week starter box that’s 50% off the price.) The food comes sealed in pouches to keep it airtight, and they’re resealable so you can easily store them. You’ll need to put it in the refrigerator after you receive it, and the food is good to serve to your dog for up to four days, according to the brand. Ollie also has treats and supplements to add to your shipment.
Number of recipes: 5 | Delivery frequency: weekly, bi-weekly or four-week interval | Cost per day: $4 | Shipping cost: free | Trial: 2-week starter box
Best budget-friendly: The Farmer’s Dog
- Personalized plan
- Extensive questionnaire
- May require transition period
This subscription-based service delivers fresh, ready-to-eat dog food to your door. Each prepared meal comes with the exact portions your dog needs based on their age, weight, breed, activity level and build. Before you place an order, you’ll fill out a questionnaire so the brand can determine the plan that best fits your dog’s nutritional needs.
The Farmer’s Dog comes in pouches that you can store in your fridge or freezer, and each one lasts up to four days in the fridge after you thaw it, according to the brand. NBC Select social editor Sadhana Daruvuri feeds this service to her 3-year-old maltese and poodle mix, Bandit, after her friends all became big fans for their dogs. “It was obvious he liked it way more than his kibble,” she says. And while Bandit was always a picky eater when it came to kibble, Daruvuri says she noticed a huge difference in how excited he was to eat after switching to The Farmer’s Dog (Bandit typically eats the turkey, beef and chicken meals). Plan pricing varies based on your dog’s weight, breed, activity level and more. You can also easily make tweaks to your delivery once you sign up — you can change addresses, delay shipments or edit the amount of food they send.
Number of recipes: 4 | Delivery frequency: one week to two months | Cost per day: starting at $2 | Shipping cost: free | Trial: 2-week starter box
Best for meeting health goals: Nom Nom
- Extensive questionnaire
- Pre-portioned meals
- Good for specific concerns
- Can be expensive
- Not as many recipes
Nom Nom, which comes recommended by Dr. Abel Gonzalez, a veterinarian and the clinical director at Dutch, a pet telehealth company, creates a meal plan based on your dog’s health and nutritional goals, including weight management, stomach issues and skin sensitivities. You’ll start with an initial questionnaire that asks about your dog’s breed, weight, age and diet-related issues (including whether they’re a picky eater or have food allergies). Based on your answers, Nom Nom will give its recommendation for the recipe that best fits your dog’s needs (you can select up to four). Recipes include proteins like chicken, pork, beef and turkey. All meals are pre-portioned for each dog’s unique caloric needs, according to the brand. For bigger dogs over 100 pounds, Nom Nom offers full meals (which meet 100% of their caloric and nutritional needs) and half portions to mix with existing food.
Number of recipes: 4 | Delivery frequency: every four weeks | Cost per day: $4 | Shipping cost: free | Trial: 2-week starter box
Best for sensitive stomachs: Just Food for Dogs
- Several meal plans
- Less calories
- Resealable packaging
- Nothing to note at this time
Just Food For Dogs is another favorite of Gonzalez due to its high-protein food with a lower calorie count, which makes it great for older or less active dogs. It has more than a dozen recipes, all of which have one source of protein for a limited ingredients diet, including turkey, venison and lamb. You can choose between four main categories: Fresh Frozen, JustFresh (comes in resealable packaging), Pantry Fresh (shelf stable) and DIY Homemade (includes a recipe, but you’ll need to supply the ingredients). The meals are made for all life stages, and they include a feeding guide on the packaging so you know how much to feed your dog.
My 7-year-old havanese and bichon frise mix, Bella, loves the brand’s new JustFresh recipes — I mix a hefty spoonful with her kibble once a day and she eats it faster than I’ve ever seen her eat before. I love the resealable packaging, especially since one pouch lasts me about a week at the rate I’m feeding her (and I don’t have to use a pesky silicone lid or aluminum foil to reseal it like I do with her canned food).
You can purchase pouches individually or choose to autoship your dog’s food, which will ship to your home at the frequency you choose (anywhere between one- and 12-week intervals, and your order ships within three to five business days). You can also make edits to your autoship order, including adding or removing items or changing the frequency of a recurring order. All pouches last up to 18 months in the freezer, and thawed meals stay fresh when sealed in the original package for up to seven days, according to the brand. Once you open the pouch, the brand recommends using it within five days.
Number of recipes: 25 | Delivery frequency: weekly to 12-week intervals | Cost per day: $2 | Shipping cost: $19.99 or free on order over $99 for frozen meals or $49 for dry/non-frozen | Trial: n/a
Best variety: Open Farm
- Extensive options
- Food for specific concerns
- High amount of protein
- More expensive
Open Farm comes recommended by Dr. Nell Ostermeier, a board-certified veterinarian and veterinary advisor at Figo Pet Insurance, due to its fresh ingredients and high amount of protein per meal. You can shop meals a la carte and set up autoship so you get them consistently delivered to your door. The best part about this service is its extensive options, which fit most dogs’ dietary needs. You’ll find freeze dried foods, grain-free formulas, raw blends, wet food and more, plus recipes specifically formulated for digestive health, skin and coat health, and weight management. The brand is well known for its human-grade fresh food, which includes seven recipes that come in 8- or 16-pound sealed pouches.
Number of recipes: 12+ | Delivery frequency: weekly to 16-week intervals | Cost per day: starting at $5 | Shipping cost: $5.99 per order or free on order over $50 | Trial: n/a
Best kibble alternative: Spot & Tango
- Both dry and fresh food
- Snacks available
- Can be expensive
Use code SELECT50 for 50% off your first Spot & Tango order.
Bella is also a huge fan of Spot & Tango’s treats and supplements. The brand’s subscription model includes its own version of kibble, called Unkibble recipes, that’s made up of a dehydrated meat, starch, fruit and veggies that’s more palatable for dogs and doesn’t have any preservatives, fillers or additives, according to the brand. Unkibble recipes include cod and salmon, beef and barley, chicken and brown rice, and turkey and sweet potato. Spot & Tango also has fresh recipes, which are cooked in small batches and delivered in pouches. Fresh recipes include turkey and quinoa, beef and brown rice, and lamb and sweet potato.
Like most other options on this list, Spot & Tango has you complete an initial questionnaire that asks about your dog’s weight, age, breed, activity level and any health issues. It then determines your pup’s ideal meal plan and caloric intake based on that information (and whether you chose Unkibble or fresh meals). The brand also has snacks, including turkey strips and cheese bites, that you can add on to your delivery for an additional fee.
Number of recipes: 7 | Delivery frequency: weekly, bi-weekly, 4-week or 8-week intervals | Cost per day: Unkibble plan starts at $1, fresh meal plan starts at $2 | Shipping cost: free | Trial: 2-week starter box
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What are the benefits of dog food delivery services?
The vets I spoke to agree that dog food subscription and delivery services are convenient and consistent, so they make it even easier to feed your pup a nutritious diet. “They eliminate the hassle of regular shopping, ensuring pets receive their food reliably,” says Gonzalez. Plus, many services have customizable plans that are tailored specifically to your dog’s dietary needs, weight, breed, age and health conditions, he says.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Miriam Fink is the medical director at Bond Vet.
- Dr. Abel Gonzalez is a veterinarian and the clinical director at Dutch, a pet telehealth company.
- Dr. Nell Ostermeier is a board-certified veterinarian and veterinary advisor at Figo Pet Insurance.
- Dr. Nicole Savageau is a board-certified veterinarian at The Vets, a mobile veterinary service.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am an updates editor at NBC Select who has written about pets and dog food for over five years. For this article, I spoke to four veterinarians about how to shop for dog food delivery services and researched dozens of options on the market to recommend the best ones to shop.
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