What kind of hair does he have? I never took my GSD in to be groomed, I brushed her out myself. I didn't see a reason to get her groomed. If your dog has a typical double coat it should be easy enough for you to brush. See if you have any self serve dog washes around, some pet stores have them. They make bathing and grooming so much easier. IMO I wouldn't sedate my dogs to be groomed, unless there was a really good reason for it. There is always risk to it, even if it is small.