I am going to have to get used to you guys and your home grooming. ;D
I was cringing hearing about you spending 5-7 days on and off doing a groom!
I thought it might help to throw out a few pointers. I used to groom as my job and I clip my girl myself. She is kept long so it is entirely hand scissor and takes ages.
Tip time
Always. Always. ALWAYS bathe before clipping. Unless you are taking a full coat to a clip, you can do what is called roughing it out before bathing (this is to save you some pain while drying) but you MUST go over the whole body again after it is dry. So you will be clipping twice.
Always use a blow dryer. Never use a warm setting, it is too easy to heat a dog up. Stay far back from the coat so it does not mat, you will see on the edges if it is starting to- it will curl inward. The coat needs to be FULLY dry before you cut it or it will destroy your tools and result in a ragged cut.
Use a fine tooth comb. This is the only way to get an even cut that is free of mats- use the comb to hold hair out while you cut it so it remains still. Picture a human barber.
Happy grooming
Don't want to share all my knowledge but a little always helps.