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Most people have no need for a "working" dog anymore. I know that there are many exceptions, but people in living in apartments and in the suburbs have no use for a specific type of working dog bred to do a particular thing.
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Oh, I know. Part of the reason I spend so much time doing what I do is because people have brought their border collies to live with them in city apartments, which is a very difficult situation for them. I myself live in the 'burbs and make it work for my dogs because I do agility with them about four days a week - they need that kind of "work." That not all people do their homework sufficiently doesn't strike me as a reason a shepherd (or other person who does have a suitable home) shouldn't get a border collie. The average mutt is simply not going to have the instinct or the drive to do that kind of a job.
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Do people want their little pugs or their staffordshires or other bully breeds for jobs to be accomplished? Of course not, its mere fashion.
My neighbor in my apartment building has a newfoundland....and he sure dosent work on any docks.
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Mmm, sometimes yes, sometimes no. I would wager tolerance of handling and temperament is important to your neighbor with the Newf. Along with being fantastic at water work, they are known for being phenomenally gentle dogs. Pugs were specifically meant to be companions, to enjoy sitting with their person and being petted, etc. It may not seem like "work" to you, but for the dog and his or her human it may be. I suspect a fair percentage of the staffies and bully breeds are doing some sort of work for their humans, too.
You edited your post while I was typing mine - actually, I do know a large number of people who duck hunt with their retrievers - but most people who have them have sought them out because, like Newfs, they are a good choice for a tolerant family dog. And many people who have chosen their poodles because they are allergic to other breeds of dogs. Etc. etc. It isn't all just vanity - breed characteristics really should be considered when making the decision to add a dog to one's life, whether it be a purebred or a mutt.