Yes. For many dogs, groomers are looked at in the same light as dentists and proctologists. Many dogs who are taken to grooming salons are rarely maintained at home, so this is something that they are not very accustomed to and there are things that must be done (nail trimming, ear cleaning, and anals) that they just don't like having done.
Many dogs come in frequently with matts in their coats and their owners expect us to perform matt removal every time. Well, even the most careful matt removal is uncomfortable at the least and for some dogs, even removing the tiniest tangle in the world can be complete and utter torture. Most dog owners don't understand or seem to care about a dog's level of pain factor. Some just seem to think that if they throw enough money at us, (then they gripe about the price when it has to be paid) we will torture their loved ones and their dogs can just "tough it out".
Unfortunately, there are many groomers out there who give in to the customers and tortuously brush tons of matts out, so the dogs learn that grooming salons = torture chambers. Frankly, it's a wonder any of them like us.
But there are some really great owners out there who take wonderful care of their pets and they have a good partnership with their groomers in regards to their pet's overall health and well-being. The dogs love going to the salon and really enjoy being groomed. It's for those type of clients that I've been in the business for 23 years.