Well, that will indeed be a sad thing for the breed if the conformation champions are bred only for appearance, with no regard to original purpose and skills.

Perhaps that will happen to the border collie, and if it does, it will be a sad case of mismanagement by all parties involved. However, I really haven't seen that happening to too many breeds. It is the exception, not the rule. Almost all of the winning conformation dogs at Westminster, for example, also have titles in herding, field trials, earth dog, etc. They have certainly NOT lost their skill at their original function.

The AKC is not perfect, and I agree with KYS - it would be nice if they could do more to police and research the dogs submitted for registration. However, think about what an impossibly daunting task it would be. How could they ever verify every litter of puppies? Not possible.

If people simply want an excellent working dog, with no regard to looks or breed - fine. Get one. No one is forcing someone who wants a good herding dog to get a purebred border collie from show lines. Get the dog that works for your purposes, and give it good home. For some people, though, a confirmation champion suits their purposes. Good for them. Just because a dog is an excellent example of its breed standard, does not make it helpless or stupid. That's like saying all beautiful women are airheads. Not true.