Zoom Room names veteran trainer to lead socialization push

Zoom Room put veteran trainer Darris Cooper in charge of training and socialization on April 28, a hire that could change how the indoor chain handles everything from puppy parties to supervised playgroups as it pushes farther nationwide.

The company says Cooper will serve as director of training and socialization, bringing more than 15 years in the pet industry and leadership experience from Petco and Best Friends Pet Care. For Zoom Room, the timing matters. The brand says it was built around indoor dog training gyms and a model that puts relationship and social exposure ahead of command-heavy drills.

That philosophy is central to the company’s pitch. Zoom Room says, “we don’t train dogs. We train the people who love them,” and frames its method as “socialization over obedience,” with positive exposure to new people, dogs and environments at the core. Its locations offer dog training classes, socialization, agility, tricks and scent work, giving energetic dogs more than a basic sit-stay routine.

For readers with fast, noisy, easily overstimulated dogs, the practical difference is in the room itself. Zoom Room says its socialization programs include playgroups, puppy parties and open gym time, with dogs screened and matched by size, temperament and energy level in climate-controlled indoor spaces overseen by professional trainers. That kind of controlled setting can matter for dogs that need structure before they can settle, focus and work around other dogs without turning every class into a wrestling match.

Cooper’s background fits that mission. Petco says he joined the company in 2012 and served as National Dog Training Manager through 2025. Petco also identifies him as CPDT-KA and FFCP, credentials that signal formal training knowledge and fear-free handling experience. Best Friends Pet Care, where Cooper also worked, describes itself as the country’s first and longest-running Play & Stay pet destination and says it operates more than 40 locations nationwide.

The appointment also lands as Zoom Room keeps scaling. The company says it was founded in 2007, now has about 57 locations and is targeting 550 by 2030. It also says it ranked No. 1 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 in 2026 and was named an Inc. 5000 Top 40 franchise. With Cooper in the job, Zoom Room appears to be standardizing how it talks about socialization, which could shape class design, handler education and the way more energetic dogs are moved from chaos to control inside these indoor training spaces.