Dr. McGivern began his canine career at age eighteen when his parents became involved in the breeding and exhibiting of miniature and toy poodles. At the University of Notre Dame, he was a cheerleader in charge of the two Irish Terrier mascots for football games. As a House Officer at Bellevue Hospital in New York he and his wife Diane purchased their first Vizsla and shortly became involved in exhibiting in conformation and field events. Dr. McGivern became an AKC approved judge in 1968 and has judged in Ireland, Hungary, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Spain and South Africa. He has judged at Westminster twelve times and in 1983 and 1997 judged the Sporting Group. He has judged in nearly every state in the United States. He is internationally known as a Vizsla breeder and was instrumental in helping to change the Vizsla Standard to that which is currently AKC and FCI accepted. He has finished nearly thirty Vizsla AKC Champions, one Vizsla Dual Champion and two GSP Field Champions.
He is a field trial as well as a conformation judge. He is the past President of the Staten Island (NY) Kennel Club and is their Delegate to the AKC. He is also a Director of the Westminster and Westchester Kennel Clubs. He was Founding President of the Vizsla Club of Northern New Jersey and the Vizsla Club of Greater New York. He was also a director and AKC Delegate from the Vizsla Club of America and the Del Sur Kennel Club of San Diego.