I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for all the expressions of love and condolences with the passing of our special Dog Samson.  

The death of Samson has touched us incredibly deeply.  His life started rocky, and believe me, we tried so hard to keep him happy, and most of all, healthy.  

His life started 14.5 months ago.  
I made the decision to breed Odaa with a magnificent stud, Boris. Odaa carried 13 large puppies and with the swift thinking of my veterinarian, we made the right decision regarding birth. All puppies lived. 
Samson was born not breathing.  No biggie, that happens.  We did not give up on him. It took us a long time, but we got him breathing. So we chose a strong name for him, Samson...

I know I can be odd sometimes and come across as crude, but I love my dogs and will do everything I need to do in order to ensure their health and well-being. I firmly believe that where there is life, there is hope. As a former RPN (working in mostly nursing homes, as well as also handicapped and briefly psychiatric services), I can appreciate all life.  

Samson struggled right from birth. He had a hard time latching on. Even while drinking from the bottle, he was not like any other puppy, he struggled. When the other puppies were standing and starting to walk, it became apparent that Samson was different. Although his physical health appeared to progress normally, his mental health was just not up to par. 
Starting at three weeks of age, we had multiple visits to the Guelph University Small Animal Clinic. Here, he was diagnosed with neurological problems, highly likely resulting from a lack of oxygen at birth. 
Ensued over the next year were regular vet visits, homeopathic vet, an osteopath, acupuncturist and chiropractor (he was due to receive his front leg braces one day after he died, they were made in Nova Scotia. I cannot even donate them to another dog in need, as they are casted for his legs specifically). 

Samson was simply not wired right.
He was stuck in his 10-12 week old puppy stage his whole life. 

In his puberty stage he began suffering from seizures, but we were not able to get them under control. At first we thought it was because of hormonal changes in his body. Samson never had any vaccines, nor any preventatives, and ate a very well balanced diet consistently. Upon consultation with our veterinarian, we decided to neuter him early, as it was believed that the seizures were caused hormonally. The seizure periods  kept fluctuating, luckily medication made them less severe. 
With the start of his puberty we also noticed changes in his front legs. Under the guidance of the homeopathic vet, we consulted with several orthopaedic appliance specialists. This process was painstakingly slow and we were happy when we found one who had worked with psychologically challenged dogs before and saw promise in braces. 
The process of trial and error took months, Samson was an absolute trooper during it all.   

After neutering Samson at an early age, we had the seizures under control for a while. Though, a few weeks before Christmas, we noticed Samson was getting weaker. We thought his weakness was due to the pain in his front legs with no brace support. We tried using medication, but this gave him seizures again or nocked him out so much he was just laying down not moving 23 hours out of the day. 
Though, we tried to manage this with homeopathy, acupuncture, and even with permanent staples in the skin on his head. 

A day before we were booked to go for another brace fitting in Toronto, and hopefully bring them home, Samson collapsed while walking outside to go pee. 
His gums turned completely blue and we rushed him to the vet.  
When they gave him oxygen, he pinked up. While taking his oxygen off he turned blue again immediately.  He was tested for heart, blood pressure, blood work, and they all came back normal. Though, his oxygenation was extremely low. 
Therefore, an x-ray was done. He was such a good boy, as I told them to feed him so his mind would be off the manipulation of putting his body in the right position. Food worked so well for him.  

X-rays showed a devastating picture. His one lung had collapsed, the other was seen to be seemingly full of lesions that the vet could not explain.  It was likely due to congenital problems with his lungs.
He had collapsed finally because of hypoxia.  
Now all his struggles made perfect sense. 

At the vets office, we discussed for a long time if there was any way we would be able to treat him, to give him another chance at life. But the heartbreaking reality was not what we hoped to hear.
How were we going to diagnose and treat a dog we could not sedate? His neurological state could not handle anaesthetics. How could we keep him on oxygen all the time, as he was constantly fighting the oxygen mask? 
How would we even move him around when his oxygen levels were so low? His huge body would not be able to support it. 

We had to make the difficult decision to let him go..  We needed time, We needed validation, we talked and talked. I asked my vet at least 3x if it would be the right thing. Did we have another option?
We discussed having him seen by a specialist but the fact that we couldn't wean him off of oxygen was looking bleak. 

He had so many problems.  

The very light sedation to prep him for euthanasia sent him almost immediately into a seizure state. This was validation for all of us, that we had no other option.  I know how hard it is not to be able to breath. We had to let him go... 

Samson passed with his head on my lap, within seconds, very peacefully and calm. 

Our very special boy was gone, our Forest Gump, our 'Doofus,' our incredibly strong, happy-go-lucky, food loving, Samson was no more...  

Our very special Samson...
He taught us extraordinary love. 
He taught us even deeper grief.  
He taught us not to blame ourselves for having to let him go, even though if he was any other dog under different circumstances, we would have fought longer.  
His extra-ordinary look on life, I will never forget. His deep sense of routine was eye opening. He had so many similarities with, for instance, a person with downs syndrome.
He was an orthopaedic disaster.  
He was huge. Too big for even the BMD standard, but his Kennel name was Sallysvalley Tiny Timbit. Go figure.   
His heart was HUGE in true Berner fashion. 

Samson will be in our hearts and the hearts of a lot of people around the world, forever. 
​ 
We would like to extend a thank you full of gratitude for all the messages and calls of support our family has received. It is truly appreciated. 
Thank you for sharing in his life!

The life of an extra-ordinary Bernese Mountain Dog named Samson.

HOW MUCH FOR A PUPPY?

This is a post going around on Facebook, I copied it from facebook and added my own thoughts in bold to it. 

Let me say a few words to you, yes you, the person who writes an email to simply ask the price. The person who calls and after hearing a price surprisedly states: “I can buy a cheaper pup elsewhere”. I also address you; the person who doesn’t care about papers because I want “just a pet”.
No dog is “just a pet”.
Behind every pure bred puppy/dog is a BREEDER. I’m using capital letters to differentiate a breeder from a pet factory or mill. A reputable breeder does not breed dogs without papers, that does not protect the integrity of the breed. Registration (papers) are records of lineage that document bloodline and allow one to research any possible health issues present in the lineage. When you tell a Breeder you don’t care about papers what you’re really telling them is you couldn’t care less about the health of the puppy you just want the cheapest thing you can find! When you select to buy a puppy from a reputable and quality breeder, this breeder is responsible for the health of every pup; both dogs owned and every pup they’ve sold for its lifetime. This breeder will skip holidays, miss sleeping, and most of their personal house space has been turned into space for their dogs . The truly passionate breeder who loves what they breed, puts their whole heart and soul into it. Not only in puppies that are sold, but also in each client who owns a piece of their heart and now is a member of their extended family. This does not take into account any puppy/dog who might get sick or need extra help to thrive. Breeders worry about their babies after they leave and will take one back without question.
A breeder will get their hands dirty, often covered in everything accompanied with birthing. Because that’s what life is about...In the middle of birth and death is life. The wheel that keeps turning. A breeder will do tests, echos, xrays, analysis, emergency c sections, vaccinations or titre, register litters, we take part in studies, research pedigrees, deworm, as well as microchip their puppies and get them evaluated by specialists.
Last but by no means least, a breeder CHOOSES the family lucky enough to have one of their puppies. Yes, you read that right. A true breeder chooses who they sell to because they are not making money off the sale. There is no compensation that can offset the investment a Breeder has made so they need to be confident it is the right fit. Many times saying more no’s then yes... A good Breeder will have different criteria for those wanting to carry on their bloodline, why? Because breeding is not a responsibility to ever be taken lightly, it’s a lifestyle choice set aside for ONLY the few devoted people willing to sacrifice.
Because a dog is never “just a pet” it’s the Breeder’s legacy, a little boy’s best friend, a little girls protector, an elderly persons therapy, a member of the family, someone’s whole world!!!
Written in part by: Sr. Eduardo Loredo Muller
Translated into English by: Angel Sophia Nogga
Modified for dogs by: Amber French
​
So if you think you get an answer to your e-mail that is often just 2 words or a small sentence long, think again. 
We pour our heart and soul in the litters we breed and they are not JUST an object for sale. 
If you think different, you are likely not the puppy owner I would choose for my puppy anyway. 

Did you know..
Do you know that asking a breeder if they test is not enough?!?!

Look at DM...
So called "Good" Breeders, do not give a rats ass if they produce a DM puppy or not. (That may be a little harsh but this is how I see it).
 "We test for it" they say, "our Berners do not get that old", they say. "Cancer is worse" they say.
But is it??
You worked so hard to get your dog to where it is, often in it's teenage years, and then your dog gets DM.
DM Degenerative Myelopathy, A disease often likened to ALS (you know the bucket challenge everyone went nuts about) is a disease that effects the nerve sheath slowly but surely making sure the dog gets paralyzed while other wise in good health. It moves from the back legs to the front legs to the vocal cords and spine then long last settle in the soft tissue muscle of the heart and lungs where the dog then passes away.
​
But "Its not as bad as cancer" and "well, at least they got old" and "Well, I tell all my puppy people, and some don't care." to "not all get it" and "I look at lines"..
Sure, I did too. We didn't have a test yet. Lines never experienced anything like it. Our dogs are living longer it seems, and DM is rearing it's ugly head.. So do we need to find a cure if we can eradicate it by just making good breeding choices?
Let me get one thing perfectly straight..
DM IS PREVENTABLE BY TESTING AND ONLY PUTTING AT RISK / CARRIER DOGS TOGETHER TO BREED WITH A CLEAR DOG.
This way you will never (only one dog I know of in Bernergarde that was a carrier and got DM) produce an At risk puppy and risk the chance of DM..
So what is DM in real life.
DM is; doing everything for your dog except eating.
Hand water a lot of times a day, provide hands to itch as your dog is incapable, express the bladder so incontinence is controlled to minimum, express to poop so you can regulate this and beds and floor is not soiled, regularly switch sides to prevent bed sores (dog cannot switch sides by itself), regularly put upright for overall well being, regularly give the dog something to do, like going on a ride or a walk in the wheelchair, or anything else to keep the mind occupied, sleeping beside your dog to cater to it's every need as they panic otherwise because they are trapped in this body that refuses to do what the dog wants, call off social gatherings because someone cannot be home at that time and the dog panics and let go of poop and urine and blocks the door when you come home, breaking your back because the dog is getting heavier by the day, getting a sore arm and a sore shoulder because again your dog is getting heavier by the day, buying yet another harness to swap them out to have one in the wash while she wears and pees over the other one, tending to hotspots/ skin beside the vulva and in between the legs because the urine is eating the exposed skin away and there is no way she can air it out, so cleanliness is imperative, making sure the supplements to prevent a UTI are given regularly because a down dog is prone to a UTI way more then any other dog. And so many more things.
Well, put your dog down they say. Really???
Most dogs with DM as long as they are engaged and entertained live in the moment and truly want to live and be loved. They get way more attention than most.. Again, they live in the moment.
The process takes long and can be exhausting. I am lucky, I am home, but most people......
I am lucky, I have a strong husband, but most people....
The thing is. when you look in your dogs eyes at some moments and see how badly they want to run too, and then the joy and happiness when you do something they like. Its heartbreaking and warming.. It is hard.
You cannot say, "I can deal with it when the time comes" as this is not easy, truly not easy. I see many dogs being put down prematurely :'( It has to be done unfortunately  as the situation is unbearable for dog and human. 
Come and care for Heidi for a day, only 24 hrs. see how you deal with it. Keep her happy, Carry her outside to try to pee like a normal dog, to be upright for a little..
She is almost to the point where she is loosing her front legs, her core is already weak.
I said it before, we will care for her as long as SHE WANTS TOO.
We will handle it one way or another. Think about it. Can you put your dog down because you have to go to work, how would you feel, to put down a happy dog because you cannot be with them. I guess some of those breeders can and do not think it is a big deal.. Can you deal with it coming home and your dog needs to be washed, again, floors are soiled, again,  and she is extremely thirsty and the water bowl fell over because your dog desperately wanted to get to it.. Can you???? Day in day out????
It is soooo simple, just ASK for results and ask for the result of the stud and make sure one of the 2 dogs is clear for DM in both Genes... (There are 2 tests it will say either SOD1A Degenerative Myelopathy or DM Degenerative Myelopathy and the other test will say SOD1B Degenerative Myelopathy). Again one of the parents have to say CLEAR for both Genes. There are 2 tests ask for both...
ANY other combination than done with a clear, will have the chance to get a puppy that will be at risk for DM.
If you have any questions please ask, I will help you as much as I can.
A Clear dog can be combined with a carrier or at risk dog, no dog needs to be excluded from the gene pool regarding DM.
To be perfectly clear, I am not asking for compassion, we are helping our dog with all the love we can and will keep doing this till she tells us it is time.
I am asking you to do your homework when you get a puppy from a breeder and prevent another well bred dog from getting this horrible disease...... <3 

The same goes for any genetic testing.. 

An egg is just an egg, right?
Yes, I agree to an extend.
An egg is an egg but what’s inside the egg can be of great difference and eggs are extremely healthy for your dog. 

The proof is in the yolk

There are significant differences between a pasture raised egg - basically chickens are roaming free all day in a pasture eating grass and other plants, worms and bugs with usually some grain at night to get them inside to protect them from predators and the elements.
Conventional eggs - are raised in egg laying facilities without the access to the outdoors solely relying on grains and usually synthetic vitamins and minerals.
The chickens natural diet are insects.

Studies showed that farm fresh pastures raised eggs are higher in nutrients, taste better and are overall healthier.

Especially for your dog (who are still mostly highly processed foods fed, and are fortified with chemically made vitamins and minerals benefit greatly from farm fresh pasture raised eggs.

- There is no significant caloric difference between the two eggs.
- Vit E is almost 4x higher in a pasture raised egg.
- Vit A more than half more than a conventional egg.
- Beta carotene 8x higher
- Omega 3 3x higher thus lowering sat. fats and cholesterol. A very good thing




​

​All eggs contain:
Vit D - helps fighting cancer and maintains overall health
Vitamin B12 - fights heart disease
Folate - build new cells, helps against anemia and is important for reproduction
Protein - building and repairing muscles, organs, skin, hair and other body tissues; needed to
produce hormones, enzymes and antibodies; the protein in eggs is easily absorbed
by the body
Selenium - helps vit E as an antioxidant
Lutein and zeaxanthin - vision and anti aging. (antioxidants)
Choline - brain function

Furthermore eggs are a great source of all 9 essential amino acids - a complete protein- (especially important when you fear the DCM problem we are hearing so much about). Essential meaning, the body cannot be without as there is no way to synthesize them themselves from other food components. Amino acids “ the building blocks” as they help form protein.
They give the dog energy, and the dogs body uses the protein to:
- build and repair body tissue and cells
- grow beautiful fur and strong nails
- build and maintain healthy muscles
- helps fight infections
- helps keep bodily fluids in balance

Eggs also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the body, including iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, thiamine, panthothenic acid(Vitamin B5 ) and more.
Feeding your dog a whole pasture raised egg with shell also provides Calcium and an important part, the membrane - Natural Eggshell Membrane is a possible new effective and safe therapeutic option for the treatment of pain and inflexibility associated with joint and connective tissue disorders.

If you have no access to pasture raised eggs organic Omega 3 rich eggs are the second best choice.
Having said that, all types of eggs are of great benefit to dogs. Never feed the shell of conventional eggs because of the treatment they receive.

If you want to enhance your dogs health - give them eggs. If you cannot do raw at least make sure the yolk is soft and not cooked.
You cannot really overdo it, it is considered a complete food and fed regularly you will see significant differences in the dogs coat and well being!

All to often I see overweight puppies and adult dogs. 
An overweight pup can be easily prone too all kinds of orthopaedic problems when young. 
ACL tares, OCD (Osteo Chondritis Dissecans), hip dysplasia, auto-immune diseases and more. 
Studies have shown that a lean pup/dog can live 20-25% longer than an overweight dog. For the Berner this is significant time. 
The Berner is a robust dog, and often is not seen as overweight as the first thing from a stranger you hear is: "How much does your dog weigh"? 
The popular answer is the more the better.  This is simply not true. 
A robust looking dog, does not have to be overweight.
Weight does not say much for our Berner. The average weight for a female is 70-110 lb. This is height and structure dependant. 
The coat is abundant, and often a Berner looks thicker than it actually is because of its coat. Looks can be deceiving and should not be used to find the right body composition for the Berner.
So please, forget all notion of weight for your pup until it at minimum reaches 2 years of age. Instead go by body scoring. The body score will tell you everything.  Body score is the only way to measure when young to tell you if your dog is a perfect weight or not. Fully grown weight is easy but not when the Berner is young.
Please do a body scoring on your pup/dog and see where your at. Don’t sugar coat, don't kid yourself. 
The Berner loves to eat and mostly feel they are always hungry. 

A pup under 2 years of age should be just under ideal on the body scoring scale.  An adult dog should be at ideal  4-5 but preferably 4 this is on a 1-9 scale.  On a 1-5 scale your pup should be 2.5 just under 3 which is ideal. 
Reduction of meals is easy to do but first look at treats or some leaner meats. 
I find with a young pup between 8 weeks and 2 years you are often adjusting the amount of food. The pup displays growth spurt and stand stills while growing, appearing to fill out then gets a growth spurt and suddenly seems very skinny again.  Go with the flow score often and adjust accordingly! 
Happy scoring!A lean dog will move better,  live longer and get less cancer. 

 
DM Testing is Important but how about not producing a DM At Risk Puppy?

When looking around for a pup please make sure your puppy's parents are health tested for DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) if that is applicable for your breed. But testing alone is not enough, the right combination needs to be chosen to prevent a potential health problem. 
 
The breeds most commonly affected include the German Shepherd, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Boxer, Borzoi, Rhodesian Ridgeback, American Eskimo Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever, Great Pyrenees, Kerry Blue Terrier, Poodle, Pug, Shetland Sheepdog, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. And thus any cross from these breeds also (which I DO NOT condone). 
Think golden doodle, bernedoodle, golden pyrs etc etc. 

In my opinion: If one of the parents is tested At-risk or Carrier, the other parent HAS to be clear. Don't let them tell you otherwise. There is no need for these combo's. 
2 parents testing carrier should not be done. There is a 25% chance the pups will become At Risk.
​ Your pup could come down with DM down the road. For BOTH gene's (DM-BMD and SOD1 gene) that can be tested. If the breeder doesn't test or takes high risks. RUN!
​
​
11 years ago I bought Heidi from a breeder when no test were available. Heidi now a year and a half into symptomatic DM, is starting to decline. 
Let me tell you. This is the saddest thing you as an owner and she the dog can go through. I am trying to keep her as happy as I can.
We went out for just over 4 hrs last Sunday and came back to a very distressed pup who cried and cried and cried. She is not in pain really but has problems now with her front (pins and needles while her strength is going). She is feeling helpless and needs us for everything. She is getting frustrated at times. She can not be left alone at all!. 
Her wheels are not working for her anymore as her back is not strong enough now and she sags through it. She walks with very tiny steps in her front end. She doesn't want to go in her regular cart anymore. She also does not want to walk far supported by us. Just out to pee and that's it.
​As off beginning of July, she is now in a quad cart and has a wagon to keep her involved.  

 She is mentally all there and otherwise reasonably healthy (the mastcell cancer breakout under her chin is again under control). Her body failing her and having accidents in the house (which we totally praise and don't care about but she feels bad, its ingrained in them NOT to do this). It's so so so sad.

Bottomline is if Heidi wouldn't have DM at this moment in time would testing have been available back then. She would be running around with the others right now. 

I am home all day and can care for her, a lot of dogs would have been put down at this point already. 
Her moments of happiness are plentiful still and as long as she doesn't give up, we will endure her accidents in the house (even though she is manually helped with defecation and urinating), we will break our backs because she lost ALL control over her hind feet, she is catered to her every whim. She is groomed almost daily to relieve the itch she cannot itch herself and gets another god scratch by one of use at night, water is brought to her 4-5 times a day, she pees over our shoes when going out but we don't care. We are her legs.
She is carried upstairs at night as that is where she slept all her life, (she weighs 100 lb) before sleeping we massage her shoulders and neck to relief her pins and needles. We do everything we can for her.

Breeders who think "-DM is not that bad, -only for old dogs, - the dogs usually die before they get DM anyway,
​- they may not even get it or even,or - it's a cross so therefore it is healthier", have never gone through it or don't mind their dogs mental health. (Yes I am generalizing but these are my feelings at this moment.) 
​
Sure good breeders do not exclude any Dogs from the gene pool, I get that. But in my opinion Having an at-risk dog in future lines should be frowned upon!! There is no reason whatsoever!!! 
All DM status dogs can be bred But a carrier or at Risk dog should be bred to a CLEAR dog ONLY!

Puppy Brush
​ ​Start your pup with a soft Brush to get used to the brush and daily handling  A soft brush with soft bristles on one side and pin bristles with the little knobs on the other will do nicely.

The pin bristles you can use throughout the dogs life for daily brushing the coat The more you brush the shinier the coat will be! A once a week brushing usually is enough to prevent matting!

At about 5-9 months your pup will get rid of the puppy coat, especially near the pants the baby fur will get stuck. This needs to be combed out. The puppy brush will not suffice anymore  
Below are the brushes I use.  Invest in the better kind and they last a long time.  ​

The coat king 12” ​   
https://www.renspets.com/mars-coat-king
This type of brush I use for behind the ears and the pants area!  It thins out and removes dead hair. It also prevents having to give a sanitary trim. A sanitary trim takes away from the good looks of the berner. A well maintained coat stays clean.
Do not Use this brush on the dogs romp.  

​The double rake
https://www.renspets.com/gripsoft-undercoat-rake-double-row
This type a brush I use for the whole coat, it grabs dead hair and undercoat. Do not Brush too long in one area, this may give the dog a red irritated skin! No more than 10 stroke in one area at the time, move to another area after 10 strokes and come back later if you need to. Too much pressure on the brush can cause brush burn. and could develop into a hotspot. 

​The poodle comb                            
https://www.renspets.com/1-all-systems-medium-coarse-comb     
After your done Brushing, your comb should glide through the coat!
Don’t forget the tail! ​

​Nail Clippers
Large Resco Nail clippers will last the lifetime of the dog.
They are great and will not go dull easily.
Please read this article about how to clip the nails and why!
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/trimming-your-dogs-toenails/

​Round nose scissors
I use these small safety scissors to clip away excess hair in between the toe pads
This also prevents the dog from slipping. ​

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a double coated breed. 

Double coated breeds SHOULD NOT BE SHAVED OR CLIPPED SHORT! I's not an opinion it is a fact.
Let me explain why.  

People are stubborn and do what they want anyway, but in all honesty, a shaved Berner should simply not be happening. 
If your worried about the hair, bring your dog to the groomer regularly (every month or so) for a bath and a brush. It greatly diminishes hair in your home and the dogs coat will look luxurious and simply gorgeous. 
Better yet, brush and comb your dog weekly to achieve this results with the appropriate tools. It makes for great bonding time. 
Sure a clipped coat comes back supersoft, this is the undercoat, it sheds way more than the topcoat. The topcoat takes a while to grow and does not shed all the time but the top coat of an older dog may not come back at all.   The undercoat being fuzzy and more prone to matting due to lack of topcoat also grows back in different lengths giving an uneven look. 


A Berner's stunning looks is achieved by it's coat, the fringing on the front legs, the feathering on the back legs, the somewhat lion mane. Just stunning. 
Sure it's a little work, but didn't your breeder tell you that? Didn't they go over the care of the coat with you. They should have! It should be nothing new, the berner sheds, and has a medium length coat with long feathering. 
​
Why is it recommended not to shave?: The topcoat is made up of tougher guard hairs that don’t shed as much as the undercoat.  It protects your pet from the sun’s harmful rays and bug bites and it actually insulates them from the heat. It’s a mistake to think you’re helping your animal stay cool, especially in summer, when mother nature has provided them exactly with what they need to survive. By stripping them of their natural ability to heat and cool themselves, you could be doing more harm than good. Dogs cannot cool themselves through their skin. They cool themselves through panting and they only sweat through their pads. 

​The below picture of the coat shows how this is achieved. 

I often hear, " my dog is so happy when he is shaved, he runs around and is so happy". 
I have to say that I achieve that same feeling in my dogs when they get a good brushing and the undercoat is out for the summer.   
​

This thermal image tells us exactly what the heat does on the dogs body! You cannot deny this. 

The Unshaved chest and shoulders reads a temp of 24C (75F) 
The shaved body shows us a temp of 30.8C (87.44F). This clearly shows us the coat works as an insulator. 

The shaving of the coat will give more risk to over exposure of the sun and overheating, it also makes the dog more prone to insects bites, making them potentially more vulnerable for lymes and heartworm disease. A coat clipped to short may cause all kinds of coat problems.  

I had a bad experience with my Maremma who needed a leg amputation.  
The hair did not grow back for a year, It was very thin and patchy. After this the undercoat started to go ramped and the stump was constantly matted.  
Finally after 1.5 years the top coat came back in.