grooming a tiny poodle

Question
I have a 6 month old silver teacup poodle with a slight collapsing trachea, who only weighs 2 1/2 pounds. I would love her to be groomed, but I'm terrified of her being washed (she gets so cold she falls over)and dried and restrained without something around her neck. I guess I just don't trust the experts. Which leads to another question, how do I find an expert? Am I being silly not having her groomed?

Answer
Hello April,
You aren't being silly at all for being concerned about your baby.  But eventually you will need your dog groomed and you will either need to groom her yourself or have a professional do it for you.  If you are concerned about the way the professional will groom your baby, first talk to them and see just what they will be doing.  If you are concerned about them washing her, you might think about bathing her yourself, and just letting them do the trimming on her.  
Also, see if you can stay and watch the first time to make sure that you are comfortable with the way they are grooming her and that she is comfortable with them.  
(some groomers are reluctant to let an owner stay with the dog while being groomed because they owner can cause the dog to become upset, but if you assure the groomer that you will stay out of the way and just quietly observe, they may agree to let you stay)
If they use a noose as a restraint on the table, see if for her, they can use a harness instead so that it doesn't bother her throat.  

Most groomers will be willing to work with you, and if you don't feel comfortable with one, try another until you find the one that is sutiable to you and your dogs needs.

I hope that I have helped you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim