Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Kieran Beckles
Are you ready to ditch kibble in favor of something fresher, but you can’t decide between A Pup Above and The Farmer’s Dog?
The Farmer's Dog Or A Pup Above Quick Verdict |
The Farmer’s Dog is my top pick overall because it offers a fully customized experience, pre-portioned meals, and my dogs Copper and Skye loved it. Best overall: The Farmer’s Dog Best for flexibility: A Pup Above Best for: • The Farmer’s Dog → fully customized portions, convenience and more affordable price • A Pup Above → more flexible feeding, gently cooked meals, pricier Price difference: The Farmer’s Dog cost me $251.04 a month, while A Pup Above was priced at $331.96 a month if you don’t want a subscription, or $282.17 a month if I opted for a subscription. Skip The Farmer’s Dog if: • You want more flexibility, such as mixing fresh and air dried Skip A Pup Above if: • You want fully pre-portioned meals with zero guesswork
My take: The Farmer’s Dog wins because of the customization and how much my Klee Kai dogs loved it, while A Pup Above is better if you want more control over feeding style. |
We decided to switch to fresh dog food after Skye started refusing traditional kibble, which led to a bout of stomach issues and mounting vet bills.
When we moved back to California from the UK, we had to start afresh to find a dog food company whose food our fussy Alaskan Klee Kai would consistently eat.
During our research, we came across A Pup Above and The Farmer’s Dog. In this article, we’re going to share our insights into these two brands and our recommendations.
UPDATED: April 2026
We updated this review in April 2026 to reflect the latest pricing of A Pup Above and The Farmer's Dog. We did our 30-day test on our Klee Kai, and we also added a Quick Verdict box. As always, this article follows our dog food testing process to ensure accurate, honest, and experience-based recommendations.
A Pup Above vs The Farmer’s Dog At-A-Glance Table
| Brand | The Farmer's Dog | A Pup Above |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Yes | Yes (but no required) |
| Available in stores | No | No |
| Meal customization | Fully personalized | Standard guidelines |
| Recipes | 4 core recipes | 2 formats |
| AAFCO compliant | Yes | Yes |
| My monthly cost | $251.04 | $331.96 |
| Cold storage required | Freezer | Freezer |
| Picky Eater approved | Loved it | Approved |
| Best For | Tailored experience | Variety |
A Pup Above Vs The Farmer’s Dog: Who Do We Recommend?

Let’s cut right to the chase if you’re ready to uncover our pick. We recommend The Farmer’s Dog because our dogs loved their fresh recipes.
We were feeding Butternut Box in the UK, and The Farmer’s Dog came closest to replicating the success that we had with the British brand and their food.
Copper and Skye consistently finished The Farmer’s Dog in their bowl, which is persuaded us to recommend The Farmer’s Dog ahead of A Pup Above.

The Farmer’s Dog was substantially cheaper than A Pup Above, too. We paid significantly less for their fresh dog food, which also came pre-portioned with a feeding guide on each meal pouch.
My dogs did love A Pup Above’s Whole Food Cubies. We were impressed that A Pup Above offers a fresh food option and a dry food option to cater to pets who prefer one format over the other or like to combine both.
Ultimately, we’d recommend starting with The Farmer’s Dog ahead of A Pup Above if you’ve got a picky eater. But we don’t think you’ll go wrong with either brand, should you decide to opt for A Pup Above.
Who Is The Farmer’s Dog?

The Farmer’s Dog is one of the leading dog food companies in the US, having earned a good reputation for satisfying dogs with their range of fresh frozen meals.
Do you want to learn more about The Farmer's Dog? I've written a detailed pros and cons review.
We like that The Farmer’s Dog uses human-grade ingredients, such as USDA-approved meat and vegetables in their recipes, alongside their TFD nutrient blend.
The Farmer’s Dog offers beef, chicken, pork and turkey recipes through their subscription service. It’s a good range to cater to pet parents with picky eaters like my Klee Kai.

To get started, you need to fill out their detailed questionnaire to allow The Farmer’s Dog to tailor their recipes to meet your dog’s specific needs.
You can also check out our article where we compare The Farmer's Dog and The Pets Table
I was impressed because The Farmer’s Dog followed through on this element of their service, unlike some other brands. Copper and Skye received individual meal pouches with portion guidelines on the front. They also include a large meal container to store half-used pouches. A great touch!

Like I mentioned above, my Klee Kai dogs were big fans of The Farmer’s Dog, especially the chicken and beef recipes, which I recommend starting with if you’ve got a fussy pup.
I couldn’t fault their pricing, either. I paid $251.04 for my subscription to The Farmer’s Dog, which was by far the cheapest of all the fresh dog food companies I’ve reviewed.
| The Farmer's Dog Pros | The Farmer's Dog Cons |
|---|---|
| Customization | Only 4 recipes |
| 4 recipes | Costs more than kibble |
| Portion guidelines | No scooper |
| Competitive price | Requires freezer space |
| Meal container | |
| Klee Kai approved |
Do you want more detailed pricing? You can read my guide to The Farmer's Dog cost.
Who Is A Pup Above?

A Pup Above is a versatile dog food company that offers fresh dog food meals and whole food cubies to cater to the different preferences of canines.
You can read my dedicated A Pup Above review if you want to learn more about the brand.
For this article, I’ll be looking more at their fresh food recipes, but it’s a big plus that you can mix and match or order their dry food. It makes their offerings appealing.
A Pup Above offers the same proteins as The Farmer’s Dog: beef, chicken, pork and turkey. They do give their recipes more creative names than The Farmer’s Dog.

Unlike The Farmer’s Dog, A Pup Above doesn’t customize its recipes to meet your dog’s needs. There’s no sign-up questionnaire, either. They do provide feeding guidelines based on the weight of your dog.
However, I did like that A Pup Above’s fresh recipes include friendly grains and bone broth, which is something that makes them stand apart from a lot of fresh dog food brands in the USA.
You can select between 3lb and 7lb bags depending on your freezer space. A Pup Above allows pet owners to order a specific recipe or you can opt for their sampler pack of all four recipes.

I needed four 7lb bags per month to cover Copper and Skye’s feeding requirements. This cost me $331.96 (or I could save 15% if I subscribed, which reduced the price to $282.17).
With regards to the taste test, Copper and Skye did enjoy A Pup Above’s fresh frozen recipes, although I surprisingly noticed they preferred their dry format even more.
| A Pup Above Pros | A Pup Above Cons |
|---|---|
| Made in US | Expensive |
| 4 air dried recipes | Lacks customization |
| 5 fresh recipes | No scooper |
| Sous vide | No container |
| Bone broth | Ordering process |
| Klee Kai approved |
A Pup Above vs The Farmer’s Dog Price Comparison
| Brand | The Farmer's Dog | A Pup Above |
|---|---|---|
| Daily price per dog | $4.18 | $5.53 |
| Monthly price | $251.04 | $331.96 |
| Annual cost | $3,012.48 | $3983.52 |
A Pup Above vs The Farmer’s Dog FAQ
The Farmer’s Dog offers fresh dog food, but that’s it. A Pup Above provides fresh dog food and air-dried dog food. The Farmer’s Dog is strictly a subscription service, whereas you can opt for a subscription or a one-off purchase with A Pup Above.
In my experience, The Farmer’s Dog provided better service because my fussy Klee Kai preferred their food to A Pup Above’s. I felt their subscription service was better because they had customized meal pouches and pre-portioned guidelines. However, A Pup Above is still a good choice.
We paid less for The Farmer’s Dog than A Pup Above. The price difference was $80.92 per month, or $971.04 per year.
I found The Farmer’s Dog easier to feed because they had a pre-portion guideline on the front of each meal pouch.
Wrapping Up

So there we go. We’ve reached the end of our article comparing The Farmer’s Dog and A Pup Above.
We’d recommend The Farmer’s Dog based on Skye and Copper’s enjoyment of their recipes and their overall service and price from a pet owner’s perspective.
We've included The Farmer's Dog and A Pup Above as viable alternatives to Sundays For Dogs in this guide.
A Pup Above do a good job but they offer less customization and come in slightly more expensive. But if you’ve already tried The Farmer’s Dog with little success, A Pup Above is worth a try.
If you’re ready to order from The Farmer’s Dog, you can save 50% on your first order when you click this link.



