Specifically for preservation breeding they’re an important part of human civilization’s history. The domestication of animals that play intimate roles in our lives and occupations is at least as worth preserving anthropologically as games/art, or artifacts
For breeds in general sometimes we forget that we domesticated dogs for specific roles in our lives, not just for friendly pets, and many of those roles are still deeply important. Having dogs that are well suited to various needs we have of them is kinda important. Dogs work as service animals, search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, manage or protect livestock on smaller non-industrial farms, provide protection which is really helpful to people who may have suffered PTSD from past victimization, and as therapy animals. And we also selectively breed some breeds specifically for companionship, which is important because its a specific functional role that not all dogs are going to fit into in the same way.
Breeds exist because of the reason we domesticated dogs in the first place, which is to say a huge plethora of different reasons, for which we have all different kinds of dogs, that will fit different people and different needs. That system is still functionally useful, not every breed is equally well suited to every life, home/family, or job.
Specifically for preservation breeding they’re an important part of human civilization’s history. The domestication of animals that play intimate roles in our lives and occupations is at least as worth preserving anthropologically as games/art, or artifacts
For breeds in general sometimes we forget that we domesticated dogs for specific roles in our lives, not just for friendly pets, and many of those roles are still deeply important. Having dogs that are well suited to various needs we have of them is kinda important. Dogs work as service animals, search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, manage or protect livestock on smaller non-industrial farms, provide protection which is really helpful to people who may have suffered PTSD from past victimization, and as therapy animals. And we also selectively breed some breeds specifically for companionship, which is important because its a specific functional role that not all dogs are going to fit into in the same way.
Breeds exist because of the reason we domesticated dogs in the first place, which is to say a huge plethora of different reasons, for which we have all different kinds of dogs, that will fit different people and different needs. That system is still functionally useful, not every breed is equally well suited to every life, home/family, or job.