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Passions & Pursuits

The Dog Days of Life
By Jennifer LeClaire

Dr. Merlyn Green retired last year to hit the dog show circuit full time with his champion breeds. Discover what drives him to pursue his passion.

Visit any golf course in the country and you are bound to find a retired chiropractor or two donning their model swings in a quest for the coveted hole in one. But Merlyn Green will not be numbered among them. The retired D.C. has turned his nose up on the country club scene to pursue the thrill of competing on a different course—at American Kennel Club, or AKC, dog shows. Green is showing off his Dandie Dinmont Terriers and Miniature Pinschers on the dog show circuit week in and week out as he proudly travels the nation with his four-legged best friends.

Green graduated from Palmer West in 1981 and later served on the Palmer Chiropractic University System Board of Trustees. At 68, he decided it was time to move on to the next phase in life. He retired in 2006 from a busy chiropractic practice to hit the dog show trail full time. He has participated in 100 shows in the past 12 months across the states and into Canadian territory. A financially independent Green foots his own travel expenses, which he figures are about equal to a couple of rounds of golf each week at the local country club. The way he sees it, you can’t cuddle up with a bag of golf clubs when the competition is over.

“I like the camaraderie with the dogs and with the other handlers,” says Green. “Dogs have individual personalities just like humans. Some are homebodies and some like to travel.”

After nearly 40 years of breeding dogs and entering them into competition, Green has learned how to identify champions. That goes beyond the physical characteristics for which judges look to include the dog’s temperament. Although he taught his fair share of rebellious students when he was a schoolteacher and cared for timid patients during his subsequent chiropractic career, Green breeds his own dogs and chooses the ones that have obedient, outgoing personalities. “I only work with dogs that like to perform in front of crowds and revel in the applause,” he explains, “because if the dog doesn’t want to be in the show then you can’t hide that from the judges.”

Green isn’t alone in his passion for show dogs. AKC dog shows draw nearly 2 million entries each year. There are many different types of shows—from agility and obedience to herding and hunting—but Green participates in conformation events that evaluate breeding stocks.

In conformation events, judges examine the animals for their overall appearance, structure, movement and temperament according to how closely each dog compares to his mental image of the perfect dog described in the breed’s official standard. The standard spells out the characteristics that allow the breed to perform the function for which it was bred. Judges get an up close look at the dog’s teeth, muscles, bonds and coat texture and view the dog’s gait to see how all of those features fit together in action.

“It’s not just a beauty contest. It’s more of an anatomy contest,” Green says, adding that his ability to give his show dogs chiropractic adjustments gives him an edge in the competitions. Many on the dog circuit know that Green is a chiropractor. It’s not uncommon for handlers and dog owners to ask him for an adjustment.

For Green, chiropractic and dog breeding have gone hand in hand for decades. He even brought his newborn pups up to his practice every day, refusing to leave them alone for even a moment. He says his patients got a kick out of the little Dandies. Dozens of patients took turns cuddling with the pups after their office visit.

Green’s part in the dog show is sort of like a jockey’s role in a horse race, riding the stallion around the track in hopes of later trotting into the winner’s circle. Green’s dogs compete for points toward their AKC championships. It takes 15 points awarded by at least three different judges to become an AKC “Champion of Record.” Each dog can only earn five points at any given show. Green has boasted numerous champions over the years. In fact, he said there have been too many to count. But, like him, one day they retire and a new breed rises up. When the dogs get too old to run the circuit, he finds a good home for them, though he says it is hard to part ways with his critters because they become part of the family. “The dogs are with us wherever we go,” Green says. “But you can’t keep all the dogs you breed, so you have to find other people who will love them.”

Six dogs call the Green estate home. Most of them are Dandie Dinmont Terriers. These are long, low-stationed working terriers with large, round dark eyes. The Dandie’s temperament is independent, determined, reserved and intelligent, combining an affectionate and dignified nature with tenacity and boldness. “Sam” was Green’s most successful Dandie. He won 46 of 50 best of breed shows in a single year.

Although Green gets recognition as the handler, the dogs don’t get any special treats for winning. He keeps them on a strict diet fit for a champion. Of course, Green doesn’t always win in these subjective contests. Some handlers take it hard, he recalls, like a heavyweight boxer who lost the title match, but Green puts it into perspective. “You’ve got to roll with the punches. Every week there’s another show,” says Green, who gets a kick out of shampooing and blow drying his Dandie’s coats and trimming their nails for the shows whether they win or not. For Green, it’s not about the winning it’s about the fellowship.

Green hopes to breed many more champions during his handling career. Breeding and showing dogs has taught him patience. He has discovered that animals can learn just about anything you want to teach them, but you have to understand their personalities—just like humans. “I was a better dog handler because I was a teacher first,” Green says. “I was also a better chiropractor because I was a teacher. Being a teacher, I learned how to deal with different personalities and working with dogs has taught me great patience.”