Bathing my dog isn’t a big issue for me, mainly because she’s fairly good about letting me do it. She doesn’t love it but stays in the bathtub until we’re finished.

Drying my dog, however, is an issue. How do I dry my dog after a bath in the winter? That’s the fun part because letting her air dry takes a long time, and I don’t like to let her outside if she’s even a bit damp. Winter is cold. 

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Well, not this winter so much. Where I am in Canada has experienced an unseasonably mild (so far) winter of more rain than snow, but that’s unusual. Rain also means mud and a very wet and dirty dog after basically every walk, so all the more reason to have a useful drying tool on hand. (And they are on sale …. check out the banner ad below).

Welcome the neakasa F1 Pet Dryer.  

I received a neakasa F1 Pet Dryer (affiliate link) from the company recently, after having great success with neakasa pet grooming system (see our unbiased review here). Now, I’ve got the whole package – a home grooming and de-shedding kit along with a way to dry my dog after a bath. And both work well!  

So much so, I didn’t buy the company (anyone old enough to remember that commercial?), but I did become an affiliate – AND just in time for Valentine’s Day, neakasa has put all their productions on sale until February 18, 2024.  However, if you missed the sale, fear not. You can still get 10% off using coupon code: dogtrotting.

But first, here are the features of the neakasa F1 Pet Dryer: 

• Long, thin, and compact – 29 cm (about on foot) in length  
• A 2 meter (6 ft) long power cord, which you might need to reach around your dog 
• Three different attachments are included, similar to a human hairdryer 
• Reasonably quiet (see review for details) 
• A storage bag to keep it all in – and travel with if needed

That’s it. Like most neakasa products, it is deceptively simple in its engineering. The narrow wand-like design is easy to hold and direct, but the engineering inside is where the complexity is hidden. After all, dogs (and cats) hate loud motor sounds and are usually afraid of vacuums, hairdryers, and buzzing shears. Changing that noise – that’s the trick.  

What makes the neakasa F1 Pet Dryer different from a human hairdryer? 

A few features make the neakasa pet dryer different from a hairdryer for people: 

• First, the shape. neakasa F1 pet dryer (affiliate link) is designed to be held away from you rather than pointed at your own head. 
• Second, the temperature. It gets warm but not nearly as hot as a human hair dryer. 
• Finally, the big one: Sound. It’s designed to be quieter and have less reverberation than a people hair dryer because that’s what really freaks dogs out. 

My dog’s review of her new Valentine’s Day Pet Dryer 

As noted earlier, my dog has seen more than her share of baths and leg rinsing this winter thanks to mild temperatures producing a lot of precipitation and mud. Somehow, this was the perfect time to take the neakasa F1 Pet Dryer for a spin. (Yes, the Valentine’s Day bathrobe we bought last year is still in use, but a faster dry helps). 

I should also note that my dog is a spaniel mix – half Cocker Spaniel and half Spring Spaniel. So, she is naturally high-strung and excitable, and she isn’t double-coated. Both affect drying time. 

Fast and Fluffy on High  

Did the neakasa F1 pet dryer work? Yes, very quickly and, even better, it fluffed up her fur as though she’d just come from the groomers. 

Was she afraid of it? Yes, kind of. Putting the dryer on the ‘high’ setting unnerved her enough that standing still wasn’t an option. However, this setting is fast. Drying time was brief. Conversely, setting the dryer t on low didn’t really bother her. She stood as still as a crazy spaniel will stand.

Clearly, drying using the quieter low setting takes more time. Yet, both settings fluffed up her fur nicely. Neither induced trauma. Note, however, this pet dryer does make some noise on either setting so it might not be the best option for very nervous dogs.

Advice for drying your dog 

It was my patience that was a significant factor here. What I suggest doing – as is true with the neakasa pet grooming kit – is to allow the animal to get used to the product. 

• First, leave it lying around off. Let them look at it and sniff it. You could even do this for a few days. 
• Second, turn the product on and leave it on for a little while before you point it at them. You could do this for a few days too. 

I didn’t acclimatize my dog as long as I should have, but it was very convenient for me to dry my Spaniel in minutes. According to the company, you can dry a dog in 8 minutes. But on the high setting on my not double-coated pup, it was only a couple minutes before she was dry enough to not catch a chill. Quick and easy works in my book.  

Also, if you towel dry your dog thoroughly, then drying time is even faster with the hand-held dryer. I love my Soggy Doggy drying sham (affiliate link), and I’ve used the same one for years. Soggy Doggy washes well too. I towel dried before using the neakasa F1 pet dryer on high for only minutes and my dog dried and fluffed quickly.

NOTE: If you missed the Valentine’s Day sale … you can still get 10% off any neakasa product (including the pet dryer) by using the coupon code: dogtrotting

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!