We didn't run a marketing study. We went to The Farmer's Dog website, entered our own dogs — Enzo, our 15 lb Shih Tzu, and Duke, our 62 lb senior Boxer mix — and got their actual monthly quotes. Then we compared those numbers to what it would cost to feed them Gourmutt Kitchen.
The results surprised even us. Here's exactly what we found.
First, a Note on How We Did This
This isn't a generic estimate. We used real dogs, real weights, and real activity levels entered directly into The Farmer's Dog calculator in April 2026. Then we calculated Gourmutt Kitchen costs using the same feeding approach — 100% fresh or a 50/50 blend with their existing food.
A quick note on terminology: "fresh dog food" is the industry term for this category — meals made with whole, minimally processed ingredients rather than heavily processed kibble. Our food is gently cooked in small batches and frozen fresh to lock in nutrition. It arrives frozen and stays frozen until you're ready to serve it.
No tricks. No fine print. Just honest numbers.
Enzo: 15 lb Shih Tzu
Small dogs are where fresh feeding makes the most immediate sense. Portions are manageable, the cost stays reasonable, and the quality difference shows up fast — better coat, better digestion, more energy.
Feeding Enzo 100% Fresh
The Farmer's Dog: ~$112/month
The Gourmutt Kitchen: $79/month
You save: ~$33/month (29%)
For small dogs like Enzo, 100% fresh is often the simplest starting point. No blending, no measuring around kibble — just thaw, slice, and serve. Our Turkey Muttballs are portioned perfectly for dogs his size, and they've become his most requested meal. (He has opinions.)
Feeding Enzo 50% Fresh
If you want to ease into fresh feeding or manage costs even further, a 50/50 blend works beautifully for smaller dogs.
The Farmer's Dog: ~$78/month
The Gourmutt Kitchen: ~$39/month
You save: ~50%
At half the cost of a national subscription, Enzo still gets real food made with human-grade ingredients — just paired with whatever premium kibble you're already using.
Duke: 62 lb Senior Boxer Mix
Larger dogs are where fresh feeding costs add up quickly — and where the comparison gets really interesting.
Feeding Duke 100% Fresh
The Farmer's Dog: ~$278/month
The Gourmutt Kitchen: ~$275/month
Essentially the same cost — with a very different experience.
At full fresh feeding for a large dog, we're price-competitive with the biggest national brand in the category — and Duke gets food made locally in Roswell, Georgia instead of shipped across the country in a cooler.
Feeding Duke 50% Fresh (Most Popular for Large Dogs)
Most of our large-dog customers start here. It's the practical sweet spot — real nutritional impact without overhauling the feeding budget.
The Farmer's Dog: ~$166/month
The Gourmutt Kitchen: ~$137/month
You save: ~$29/month (17%)
Our Turkey Beef Muttloaf is built for dogs like Duke — higher calorie density, real protein for muscle maintenance, easy to portion alongside existing food.
What the Numbers Don't Show
Price is the easy part to compare. Here's what doesn't fit in a table.
Freshness you can verify. Our food is gently cooked in small batches in Roswell, Georgia and available for pickup or local delivery the same week. You can walk in and see the kitchen. You can ask us what's in it. That kind of transparency is hard to put a dollar value on — but dog parents feel the difference.
No subscription required. National fresh food brands are built around auto-ship. If your dog's needs change, or you want to try a different recipe, you're navigating a subscription portal. With Gourmutt, you buy what you need, when you need it. Store it in your freezer. Adjust anytime.
A community, not a call center. When you have a question about transitioning your dog to fresh food, you're calling us — the people who made it. Not a customer service rep reading from a script.
So Is Fresh Dog Food Worth It?
For most dog parents, the answer is yes — and the cost is rarely the barrier they expected it to be.
The bigger question is usually where to start. For small dogs, 100% fresh is often the easiest and most affordable entry point. For larger dogs, a 50% blend is where most customers begin and where many stay, because it's sustainable and their dogs thrive on it.
Either way, the best way to find out is to try it.
Ready to See How Your Dog Responds?
Our Starter Pack is the simplest way to begin — a curated mix of our most popular recipes, sized for a first week of fresh feeding. Pick it up in Roswell, have it delivered locally, or ship it anywhere in the country.
→ Get Your Starter Pack — $58.85
Questions before you order? We're easy to reach.
920 Marietta Hwy, Suite C320, Roswell, GA 30075
678-353-4705
service@thegourmuttkitchen.com
