Ollie & Ollie: Life With My Dog and the Food He Loves

Our dog’s name is Ollie, and the food we feed him happens to share the same name. It truly feels fitting, because finding Ollie dog food has been one of the best things we have done for him.

My life, and most of what I share online, is about everyday moments: the small routines, the quiet afternoons reading a good book with Ollie curled up right next to me. He is the constant presence beside me, and would rather be bored with me than anywhere else without me. He is the ultimate mama’s boy.

Because we are so often together, I became hyper aware of his eating habits. When I first brought him home, feeding him quickly became something I thought about constantly because he is so picky. He is a Michelin-star critic trapped in a doodle’s body. It was so difficult to feel confident about what I was putting in his bowl, and was honestly overwhelming. There are endless opinions about dog food, and even veterinarians do not always agree. He came to us eating raw food from his breeder, but our vet advised against continuing it for safety reasons. We switched to kibble and canned food, thinking it would be simpler and easier on his stomach. It was not.

If he does not like something, he will simply refuse it, which made mealtimes stressful for me, like I wasn’t feeding him properly. I would watch him stare at his bowl, walk away, and circle back later as if hoping it might magically change.

I also started noticing that his digestion was inconsistent, his breath was not great, and overall he just did not seem as comfortable as he should be. Like humans, food is the best medicine, and I knew the food we were feeding him could be better to make him more comfortable. I wanted to try a less processed option and see how it impacted him.

So, I started looking into gently cooked, fresh food. We tried The Farmer’s Dog, but he had a hard time with many of the proteins. He is allergic to chicken, which made finding the right food feel even more complicated.

Since putting him on Ollie, we have found that one of the biggest reasons it works so well for us is the variety of protein options. Being able to choose just beef, pork or lamb recipes has been a game changer. Red meat recipes seem to be the only proteins that agree with him, and are very clearly his favorites. He loves poultry-free, meat-heavy meals, and Ollie delivers that without upsetting his system.

He also does not like turkey, and he has never been a fan of vegetables. With other foods, he would spit out larger chunks of vegetables and eat around them. What I appreciate about Ollie is that the vegetables are integrated really well. He gets the nutrients without the texture that turns him off, which makes a huge difference for a picky dog like him.

The change was noticeable quickly. His digestion improved, his breath got better, and mealtime stopped feeling like a guessing game. The food smells like real food, and he gets genuinely excited when it is time to eat. Watching him clean his bowl without hesitation still makes me smile.

I also love how easy the experience is overall. The website is straightforward, the ordering and delivery process is simple, and everything feels thoughtfully designed. It takes the stress out of feeding him, which I did not realize I needed until it was gone.

Our lifestyle together is full of little adventures, and having a dog who feels good makes all of them better. I love watching him explore new places with us, whether we are close to home or traveling somewhere new. Though traveling with a dog always adds a bit of logistics, Ollie makes that part easier, too, since we bring the frozen, pre-portioned packages in a cooler along when we travel. One of my favorite things has been the bamboo container the food comes in, as well, which is stylish, unbreakable, and makes clean up and travel easy.

Seeing him thrive on Ollie gives me peace of mind. He has the energy to play fetch, travel, and run around with us. When he is happy, I am happy too. Feeding him no longer feels like a compromise, stressful, or like I am not doing the "right" thing. It feels like a natural extension of the life we share and the little moments that mean the most to me.

If you want to follow along with our everyday life together, you can find us on Instagram at @ollielee.doodle, where I share the small joys, routines, and adventures that come with raising a happy and healthy pup.