Latka’s Delicious Doggie Treats Latka’s Delicious Doggie Treats ...

Anthropomorphism is big right now, and the latest rising star in the celebrity animal world is Latka, the chops behind Upper West Side-based Latka's Delicious Doggie Treats. Like Cher, Madonna and Emeril, he only goes by one name. His owner, Beth Goldberg, goes by two. She and her Polish Lowland Sheepdog?named after the Andy Kaufman character on Taxi, not the pancake?live and work together, making homemade peanut butter dog biscuits in her prewar apartment.

Latka is a squarish, husky dog with a nervous disposition. His low stature and even, fluffy black and white coat give him the overstuffed look of a piece of good furniture. Like many sensitive talents, he had to be catered to from the first moment of our visit. At the door, Goldberg handed me a slice of American cheese to feed Latka, an action that appeased his skepticism, or at least gave brief respite from the woofing.

But you can't blame Latka for his mistrust. In addition to being well-known to his cohorts at Upper West Side parks and dog runs ("In the west 70s," says Goldberg, "everyone knows Latka"), his portrait adorns the labels on packages of Latka's Delicious Doggie Treats, sold at eight stores in the city?including Canine Ranch, Furry Paws and the Pet Market?and seven more nationwide. His burgeoning fame even takes Goldberg a little getting used to. "For me it's a little hard to believe that that's my dog's picture on the label in all these different stores!"

The "picture" is a pastel-hued rendering of Latka at work in the kitchen. "Isn't it beautiful?" gasps Goldberg, clasping her hands. "It's like a Matisse painting, which I love," she says, gesturing to a reproduction hanging near the windowsill where Latka keeps his toys.

Goldberg has baked for Latka since he was a puppy, simply because she hoped that by avoiding standard dog treats, which can be loaded with fillers, colors and preservatives, Latka would live a longer life. She gives Latka most of the credit for their success. "He would eat freshly ground peanut butter out of my hand. That's why I started with this biscuit. I wanted to make treats for him as wholesome as possible."

The hobby transformed into a business when local proprietors and neighborhood hounds responded favorably to the treats. Latka's goodies, made from all-natural ingredients?whole wheat and unbleached flours, freshly ground peanut butter, milk and baking powder?are as appealing to health-conscious masters as they are to their dogs.

The way Goldberg sees it, she is merely reciprocating Latka's exceptional fidelity. "They're very devoted to their families," says Goldberg of his breed. "There are people who say that you become one of their flock, one of his herd of sheep. And I am his number one sheep."

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