Mark Van Wye

Mark Van Wye is the CEO of Zoom Room Dog Training and an avid dog lover. Mark grew up in Miami Beach with Snowy the Standard Poodle and later Rorschach the Dalmatian. He has worked in biomedical research at Mt. Sinai Hospital, studying ciliar beat frequency in sheep, and at the Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute, researching retinal synapses in both cats and humans, as well as in one of the very first laboratories researching AIDS hematology at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Mark graduated from Amherst College, where he majored in neuroscience and English, and later obtained an MFA in writing from Smith College. He has worked for decades in education, as a teacher, writer, and curriculum creator, creating afterschool programs for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and consulting on educational projects for clients such as Disney, Nintendo, and a variety of kids’ educational television shows focusing on science. The transition from teaching educators to better teach kids to teaching trainers and dog owners to better train dogs was a surprisingly easy one. Positive reinforcement and a belief that learning should be both fun and active were the connecting threads that made that transition possible. Mark lives in Marina del Rey, California with his Komondor, Clyde Orange, and his son, Meyer. Both have been raised at the Zoom Room. Clyde has learned everything from obedience to agility to therapy dog training. And Meyer has learned about customer service, entrepreneurship, and animal behavior – and also had most of his birthday parties there. Mark and Meyer can frequently be seen walking Clyde around Venice, wearing matching Zoom Room shirts emblazoned with “Love. Unconditionally.” Mark and Meyer, that is. Clyde’s unusual corded coat is all he ever needs to wear.