Advice about grooming my dog?

I have a 4 year old Shih Tzu. I have always been the one to groom him as he gets very upset if anyone else tries to do it. I know I could take him to groomer and they can give him medication to sedate him but I really don't want to do that. He was put to sleep last year at the vet because of something getting stuck in his eye and it took him days to return back to normal.. It was very traumatizing to him. Anyway does anyone know of any techniques that I can use to help me trim him without having to hold him down? I need to trim his feet and around his face but again don't want to do anything that will hurt him. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it...Thanks :)Advice about grooming my dog?
If you are able to groom him, chances are good that a good groomer will do just fine grooming him without having to sedate him. Dogs tend to get scared and struggle if they are held down and feel too restricted. They can panic. I used to be a dog groomer and had some Lhasa's and Shih Tzus that I groomed that were very nervous and panicky at first. After a few groomings they were fine and they were never sedated.


Dog Groomers have equipment to hold the dog in place without the dog feeling trapped. I'd say give a good groomer with a lot of experience a try.Advice about grooming my dog?
yvw. Don't get discouraged if you run into a few that get flustered. It's not uncommon for the breed to be snappish and rascally to start. ; )

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If he was put down last year..y do u wanna know?..but i sawon the dog whisperer to get him to lay down, put a towel over his head to calm him down, and trim away (4 the feet)
If you are going to be grooming him all the time, why not get a small grooming table with the arm %26amp; grooming loop? Go to UPCO.com I recommend the Midwest brand; they aren't too expensive. It really makes grooming easier. Oh, and since he reacts so badly to being put out, you might order some Greenies while you're at it. They can help keep his teeth clean so that he doesn't have to have it done at the vet.