When it comes to finding the perfect dog food, there’s no shortage of options. From brown, round pellets to cans of slimy wet food, it’s hard to pick a single ideal meal plan for your pup. Which is why I was so stoked to have the chance to do an Ollie review!
Between my two dogs, I have my work cut out for me. My 25-lb terrier/spaniel mix, Jax, will eat just about anything. My 35-lb Aussie mix, Kai, on the other hand, is quite particular. I’m not sure if Kai was born with a sophisticated palette or he just enjoys being picky, but I’ve had to trial countless brands to find what works. From grains to grain-free, hard crunchies to soft food, chicken to turkey to salmon to beef, it’s been a whirlwind to find food Kai will eat without spitting chunks out on my hardwood floor.
Enter Ollie: the game-changer. When the GenTwenty team was invited to sample this human-grade dog food in exchange for a review, I had no idea what to expect. Kai has tried so many types of dog food – would this be another flop?
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Ollie Review – Everything You Need To Know
All About Ollie – what is it? And who is it best for?
Ollie is advertised as healthy, homemade food for your pup that’s delivered right to your door. Think of them as a personal chef, but for dogs. Their vet-created recipes are made from fresh, whole ingredients gently cooked to preserve the nutrients. Ollie does not use artificial flavors or fillers.
For the purposes of this Ollie review, I am walking you through the whole process, sharing my pros and cons, and how my dog reacted!
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How It Works
To start the process, I had to complete a brief questionnaire through Ollie’s website to customize Kai’s meal plan. Some questions you can expect include:
- What is your dog’s age?
- What is your dog’s breed?
- How much does your dog weigh?
- What flavor(s) does your dog like?
I put in all the info: 2-years-old, Aussie mix, 35-lbs, and beef. (Some of the other flavors available include chicken, turkey, and lamb.)
From the moment my Ollie box was delivered to my door, I thought this brand might be the real deal. I set the box on my kitchen counter for maybe twenty minutes, completely sealed, and both Kai and Jax were doing laps around my kitchen island because they could smell the food through the box. If Ollie was that intriguing through layers of cardboard, perhaps it would be the exact food we’ve been looking for…
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The Unboxing Experience
Ollie packages their meal plans in a large cardboard box with adorable letting on the sides. On two sides, in chunky orange letters it says: You always knew your dog had good taste, but now you can prove it. At the top, lettering indicates which side is “up” with a little sentence that reads: This side up. It’s my good side. When I opened the box, I discovered several packs of dry ice at the very top, meant to keep the individual packets of food cold.
I thought this was a nice touch because the packs of food do come frozen and had I not been working from home at the time of delivery, the package likely would have been sitting on my porch for 8+ hours.
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Next, I found a packet of information. Ollie had included a little how-to guide, which breaks down what comes in the box (more on this below), information on how to store the food packets (in the fridge for up to five days and in the freezer for up to six months), and a transition guide for how to switch your dog from his/her current diet to the Ollie plan.
I also love that Ollie included a full page about how to deal with your dog being a picky eater. I learned that adding hot water to the food is an easy way to enhance its meaty aroma, giving it a more appetizing smell. Since Kai has historically been a picky eater, I found this tip especially helpful!
Finally, I came to the individually wrapped packs of food. Since I had marked “beef” as Kai’s preference, all of the packets were frozen beef.
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What’s included?
In my first box, I found the following items:
- A serving spoon: designed to get every last speck of food out of the packets
- A “pup-tainer” with a lid: designed to store open packages of food in your fridge in a sealed, safe way
- A feeding guide: completely customized to Kai, this guide details that based on his weight, age, and breed he should be eating one Ollie pack of food per meal, two times a day. This guide outlines all of the ingredients in the meal packs, along with a breakdown on calories and an analysis on protein, fat, and fiber content.
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Putting Ollie To The Test
Since the beef packs arrived frozen, I put the bulk of them in my freezer to keep them fresh but left a few out in my fridge. Once I thawed one, I gave Kai a small portion to try. Kai has always had an issue with every type of food I’ve given him. In the past, he has eaten individual pellets one at a time and spit them out; he’s stood by his full bowl staring at me as if waiting for something more appetizing to arrive; and he’s thrown his food up after eating it. It’s been an exhausting process, filled with vet visits and endless Internet research to try and find something else that might work better.
Well, Ollie has done it! After preparing the food using the Ollie serving spoon, Kai was immediately whining and eager to eat. I put the food down in front of him, commanded him to wait, then released the command and he devoured it. He licked the entire bowl clean, then stared up at me as if waiting for more.
Parting Thoughts
Overall, I highly recommend Ollie. My box arrived a full day before my expected delivery date and it was full of more food packs than I expected, especially for a trial run. I love the pup-tainer that keeps the packs fresh in my fridge, and I especially appreciate that I can keep packs frozen until I’m ready to use them.
The delivery meal plan is super convenient, and very practical for any dog owner with a busy lifestyle. I prefer committing to subscriptions that require minimal effort, and Ollie absolutely takes the worry out of my day. My family loves knowing that we’re feeding my dog healthy, whole foods without having to cook the meal myself.
I definitely foresee subscribing to Ollie from here on out and highly recommend it to fellow dog owners looking for a healthy dog food subscription service. It’s easy to use, has quality ingredients, and my pup’s enthusiasm for meal time really says it all. I think once we get through our stock of beef packs, I’ll be ordering a variety so Kai can try the chicken, turkey, and lamb recipes to shake things up.
Bon appétit, canine friends!
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About the Author
Rachael is a University of Southern Maine graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Sociology. She remotely works full-time as a Senior Content Marketing Specialist for Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. In her leisure time, Rachael enjoys traveling with her husband, finding the next Netflix series to binge, and taking too many photos of her dogs Jax and Kai. Rachael is obsessed with chapstick, favors the Oxford comma, and is a proud Mainer. You'll likely find her exploring New England + beyond.