Add to that the fact the majority of the population are now urban
dwellers and it comes as no surprise that the breeding of dogs is
changing to suit their 'new' role in our society. Although I agree
there is something very beautiful and inspiring in seeing a dog that
has been bred from working lines that have maintained the traditional
structural form, temperament and instinct/drive, I am also aware that
such attributes have limited value to their ever increasing role as
pets or companion animals.
I cannot disagree with you more on all of these points. Many misapprehensions here as to what the public "needs" and what a working bred dog really is.
The majority of the population are now urban dwellers.
The majority of the population have been, for many generations, something other than farmers or hunters or whatever function is fulfilled by the breed in question. This has never made a difference in whether functional dogs were needed or not or whether it was smart to breed them for work. And through the ages, if someone wanted to raise a working type breed as a pet, they did so. More on that later.
it comes as no surprise that the breeding of dogs is
changing to suit their 'new' role in our society
I can't speak to many working breeds, but working personal protection dogs will be used for the forseeable future, as far as I can tell, unless the Millennium arrive and I didn't get the memo.
The need for herding dogs is actually on the rise because there's a perceptible shift now to smaller, grass-based, livestock centered operations. Eventually the feedlot system will collapse, and farmers will be looking desperately for functional herding dogs. If they can't find them here, they'll likely import them from Down Under and the UK, where humane, sustainable livestock management has kept the herding breed of primary importance.
Terrier dogs are rising in popularity in various roles, from pest detection to drug patrol.
there is something very beautiful and inspiring in seeing a dog that
has been bred from working lines that have maintained the traditional
structural form, temperament and instinct/drive, I am also aware that
such attributes have limited value to their ever increasing role as
pets or companion animals
Dogs bred "from working lines" maintain those "traditional" characteristics because they follow the function to which the dogs are bred. A BC isn't medium sized, practically double jointed, moderately coated, slightly cow hocked, athletic, and smart because someone said, "Let's breed a cow hocked, athletic, smart dog! Oh, look, you know, I think this dog would make a good sheepdog!" They selected the dogs for breeding that worked best for them, (the ultimate compliment for a sheepdog is that he's "useful";). And today's BC is what they ended up with.
People have taken dogs bred to the highest working standards as pets for as long as the dogs have been working animals. Working animals can be turned into companion dogs with very little fuss. This is where people have a huge misunderstanding of what makes a good working dog.
The same things that make a dog a superior working partner, can also make that dog a wonderful companion.
First, it would be foolish for someone to expect that they can take a working animal into their home and not make some kind of concession to provide the exercise and attention the dog needs.
I would venture to say that it's not the dogs that have changed, but that people have changed their expectations of what a pet is. Once a pet was a companion - truly a dog with a purpose as much as the dog working sheep off the hills.
Now people want the dog to provide entertainment as a cute puppy, and then the dog becomes something of a lifestyle accessory. There really aren't many breeds that I can recommend for such families, but unfortunately these are the ones you are thinking of when you want my BCs to be bred down to fit such a lifestyle.
For the person to whom a pet is really a companion and a partner in life, a working dog can fit in their life just fine. Working dogs need patience and self control to balance instinct. They need a sound temperament that tolerates change and the pressures of work. They need intelligence and discernment to be able to tell when to "help". They need the ability to adapt rapidly and learn and expand their understanding of the world around them. They need courage and a steady character and attentiveness to their human partner's wishes.
On top of this package is overlaid the superficial characteristics that most people see and that a lot of non-working breed fanciers focus on - athleticism, quick reflexes, inexhaustible work ethic, and usually interesting physical characteristics like the merle coloring of Aussie and Catahoula, the eye of the BC, the perkiness of the terrier, the grace and dignity of the GSD and Belgians and similar breeds, the friendly and eager demeanor of the hunting breeds.
Most people don't understand that those superficial characteristics are secondary.
A dog can work sheep without eye, without being a speed demon, even lame and with one eye (my Ted has an uncle that had three legs and one eye and worked and even won trials). But such a dog cannot work without the whole package that I listed in the first paragraph above. And such dogs make excellent companions as well as working partners. It's all about partnership.