Well, there's that, bless old dogs...
We just had my cocker (17 going on 18) at the groomers to get his summer shave. He's black as coal (with lots of grey now) and he just wilts in the heat. I don't think that we'll be able to do that anymore, the stress is too much for him now. There was a mobile groomer that used to come to the house but she went out of business. I just take a shedding blade to my lab/border collie mix. Works wonders, but then again, he doesn't have the same reaction as Becky's heeler does. He does with his nails though... it's a battle royale just to get them clipped. He carries on like I'm killing him.