Louise, you're an ol scaredy cat !
But who am I to talk, I'm not sure if it's my laziness, or, the way we do it here, that gets me to keep my two guys pretty shortly cut, year round.
I KNOW how nice long silky hair can be, and my guys can do that, but I take mine out along the Bayou close to the house, and let them hunt and catch themselves a little raw (frogs and an occasional snake).
My two are really little water bugs, and will jump in to the Bayou after a frog in a heartbeat. IF I didn't keep them trimmed short, I'd be pulling out as much of my hair, as I had to cut off them because of the mats. At least they have some to cut.
Actually, I keep them short because of the heat. As you know, we're running up toward and occasionally over 100
° now a days, and my two are out in the back yard (voluntarily) quite frequently (I have a Doggy Door). As far as the separation, don't worry, from what I read in your Post, that Dog will NEVER forget you 
Oh by the way, please come back and say how the Grooming worked out, I'm actually looking for a change for my two. If you don't want to say any names out in public post like this, please PM me. Be brave, bite your lip, and endure the few hours away from your little dear as best you can. 