Fluffy's first grooming (she is 9 and I am embarrassed)

Nine years old and this was the first time Fluffy has ever been to a proper groomer. Her coat had turned into one big felt mat behind the ears and under the front legs, and I had been putting it off because I assumed she would hate it. I dropped her off at a shop on the soi near our place in Thonburi at 9am. It is the one with the blue sign next to the 7-Eleven. The lady at the desk asked a lot of questions about her temperament, and I said she is a total softy except for the vacuum cleaner. She laughed and said that is most dogs. Two hours later I went back expecting a shaking wreck and got a very confused, very fluffy-looking dog who kept sniffing herself. They had clipped the mats out, done a bath with an oatmeal shampoo, and trimmed her paws and nails. Her ears had been cleaned too, which I had not asked for but was glad of, because she has had yeast trouble for years in the heat. The price was around 900 baht for the full package, which felt fair. I tipped 100 because the lad who carried her out to the car was lovely. Honest bit: she was not calm the whole time. Apparently she tried to take a chunk out of the dryer. The groomer said she was fine after the first ten minutes and by the end she was lying on the floor like she owned the place. Things I would tell anyone thinking of doing this with an older dog: book a morning slot so nobody is rushing, tell them about any lumps or sore spots before they start, and do not expect miracles on the first go. Next booking is in six weeks. I will see how she does. Also, she is now clean enough that the sofa gets her hair on it instead of my trousers. Progress.