A Dog's age, condition, and personality are factors in deciding what approach to use while grooming. Special-needs dogs require more time and patience on the groomer's part. If a dog has special needs, you don't stop grooming him due to the difficulty of it. However, you need to find better ways to get the job done. Nothing is more pitiful than an old dog whose condition suffers because she's too difficult to groom. She deserves care just as much, if not more than, the average dog.