At Home Grooming

For most of the time I've had him, I've been taking Mason to a groomer once every month or two to get a bath, get his nails trimmed, and get whatever other hygeen needs he has taken care of. However, last month, that all changed. I started thinking about it, and after much deliberation, I decided to start grooming him myself.
There are several pros and cons to going to a groomer, all of which I considered when I made this decision. The pros are, it's convenient for the owner since you just drop them off and pick them up and the groomer handles everything, so you dont have to make sure you clean their ears or trim their nails often enough. However, when going to the groomer, dogs can become fearful and exhibit signs such as shaking, whining, an unwillingness to leave their master, or in some cases, aggression. The aggression is usually a last resort, but some dogs learn that it gets strange people away from them rather quickly. Also, professional groomers can be expensive, and your dog can't allways get bathed at your conveeniense.
However, there are pros and cons to doing it yourself too. When bathing your dog at home, you can do it whenever you want, you save money, and your dog is less stressed out. However, it can be time consuming, you have to remember not to neglect things such as ears and nails, and it creates more work for you.
However, after thinking through all of this, I decided that I'd rather have more money in my pocket, and a happy dog. Sure, I know there is a little more work involved, but once you get used to it, it's not that bad. Luckily, Mason's nails aren't a problem since he grinds them down on the sidewalk. However, since he is a golden, his ears do need some extra attention. However, I think he still prefers me to unexpectedly corner him and quickly squirt the cleaner in to them over sitting for hours in a cage in a strange place with strange people, waiting his turn to get groomed. But in the end, each person's situation is different, and it's up to you to decide what works best for you and your dog.