Puppy Sphere | Puppy Yoga (West Town) — Local services in West Chicago Township

These puppies are sad, probably drugged, and one was severely ill.

It felt like a disturbing scene, similar to the drugged tigers people visit in parts of Asia. I left feeling deceived, angry, guilty, anxious, and deeply upset.

Before the class even started, one of the puppies became severely ill, having diarrhea and vomiting twice. The second time, it even vomited blood. The handler seemed completely clueless about how to handle the situation—she was just spraying cleaner while the other dogs remained in the same area. Three of us participants had to step in to assist and give her suggestions.

Additionally, the puppies seemed lethargic and unhappy. Three of them eventually started to run around, but even then, they didn’t look well. The two puppies I held had racing heartbeats, and one appeared completely drugged (it slept the entire time).

At 8 weeks old, puppies are typically very energetic and curious, especially in a new environment or around people. While puppies do need a lot of sleep—up to 18-20 hours a day—it's unusual for them to stay asleep for long periods around humans, particularly if there's activity or stimulation, like people moving around or engaging with them.

If a group of puppies is unusually lethargic or staying asleep despite people being around, it could be a sign of illness, stress, or even sedation, depending on the circumstances. Healthy puppies of this age usually balance bursts of playful energy with periods of rest, rather than being consistently unresponsive or sleepy.

Not only was this environment unsafe for the puppies—with people walking around getting beverages and risking stepping on them—but it was also exploitative. The website portrayed the class as an ethical and positive experience for the animals, but it seemed the complete opposite.

I have a dog at home, and I left feeling incredibly anxious about the possibility of bringing home an illness like parvo if the puppies weren’t vaccinated. As soon as I got home, I immediately laundered my clothes, showered, and disinfected everything, including my phone.

Also, there were only five puppies (sixth puppy was severely ill), yet 27 people attended, and they charged $70 for this.

The one positive aspect was the yoga instructor, who was warm and friendly. If she taught a regular yoga class somewhere else not associated with puppysphere, I would attend.

Overall, would never do this again....

I'm trying to write an honest, balanced review esp because this experience is such a premium price. We were a group of 4, ages 15-50.

Space: The sun studio is nice and bright, but it's quite cold in Nov. It's in an older building and the bathrooms, hallway carpet and elevator are pretty worn and in desperate need of upgrades. I get it, they don't own the building, but if you need to change, the only place is in the bathroom that feels gross. One idea would be up put up a couple of screens or a curtained area in a corner of the studio so you feel like you're staying in the nicer space. I expected it to be more like yoga studio facilities.

Puppies: We went on a Sunday. There were about 20 people in class. There were only 4 puppies. This doesn't sound like a big deal but it basically means each person gets about 5-ish min with a puppy. The puppies keep running off, (ofc that's ok!) and the staff tries to do a good job bringing them around to each group. But overall, you're not going to get to play with or hold a puppy for long. So all those pics you see on the website and Insta, that's like a 6-8 min part of the whole thing! Don't get me wrong, it's cute and fun, but when you realize you paid $75 for like 8 min if holding a puppy, it's nuts.

Drinks: Maybe it was something that day, but the website says "bubbly" all over the place. We expected champagne. So while the price is high, we thought we'd get a glass or two of champagne or mimosas. Instead it's all non-alcoholic sparkling drinks. That's cool, I don't drink anyway, but it feels weird to pay $70-ish for sparkling water.

Hygiene: Ok, hate to say this, but the puppies were kinda smelly. I get it, they're little and are going to pee a lot, but holding a smelly puppy is not fun. I'm not squeamish, I'm a mom, have changed a bazillion diapers in my life, but again, the price tag does not match the actual implementation of this experience.

Class: The yoga instructor was EXCELLENT. I did enjoy her style and flow a lot. But of course, we didn't come here for the yoga, we came for the puppies.

Overall, I feel like this was worth $30-40. The high price tag and shiny pics did not match our Chicago experience. The biggest issue is so few puppies. I know I'm in the minority saying this, but wanted to share our...

If I could give zero stars I would. I attended a class for a bachelorette party. While the class was starting to wind down and the puppies were starting to doze off. One of the puppy's came up to me and nuzzled up in my armpit. I lifted my head to look and the puppy and was bit on the face and started bleeding badly.

The staff there was quick to react and helped me clean up the wound. They told me that if I needed to seek medical attention that they would help cover the cost and that someone would reach out from corporate.

As expected no one reached out until I asked about the puppy's medical records. They offered me another free class (like I would want to return) I had to go to urgent care to get a tetanus shot and round of antibiotics. I have a gross scar and no feeling in the part of my nose where I was bit.

I would never go back after, and if you do please be so careful with them getting close to your face as I know this is a really popular activity for...