Lifestyle Pets Real or Cake? Desserts Disguised as Dogs San Francisco artist and baker Debbie Goard's canine confections look lifelike enough to bound off their plates By Kristen Mascia Published on April 15, 2010 02:00PM EDT Close 01 of 09 SCOOBY SNACK Courtesy Debbie Goard This boxer-shaped treat was “a gift for a wedding,” says Goard. “Their Scooby couldn’t be there at the ceremony, so we sent in the next best thing.” 02 of 09 M-M-M-MY CHIHUAHUA Courtesy Debbie Goard Inspired by her own pooch–a Chihuahua named Pepino–Goard designed her first dog cake, also a Chihuahua, in 2006. This particular Chihuahua was crafted in homage to a client’s dog named Burrito. “My client wanted to surprise her partner,” says Goard, who included Burrito’s “brown blankie and favorite froggy toy.” 03 of 09 PARIS POOCH Courtesy Debbie Goard Though Goard doesn’t have a formal background in cake decorating, the self-taught baker uses her artist know-how when she designs. “I use my airbrush pretty extensively,” she says. This French bulldog was the centerpiece at a puppy-themed birthday party. 04 of 09 MINI ME Courtesy Debbie Goard Goard, who works seven days a week to fulfill orders, made this cake for a customer who “wanted to surprise his girlfriend [when] they were vacationing in San Francisco.” When Goard appeared on the Food Network in 2007, the couple saw the show, and “his girlfriend was fascinated,” she says. “So I made a cake of their mini schnauzer, Max.” 05 of 09 HIGH-FLYING FIDO Courtesy Debbie Goard Crafted for a little boy named Tim, whose autism service dog, Charlie, has become his best pal, this special cake was a treat to design, says Goard. “Tim loves planes, video games, and his dog,” she says, “so I wanted to create a cake that represented all those things. Tim was delighted–but I hear Charlie was a bit frightened by his mini-me in the cockpit!” 06 of 09 LITTLE LASSIE Courtesy Debbie Goard This furry friend with the shiny eyes was a gift for a 50th birthday party. “The birthday girl adores her miniature Lassie,” says Goard, who uses heavy-duty pound cake in four flavors–vanilla, Devil’s food, lemon and strawberry–to help mold her creations. 07 of 09 SNOOZIN' CORGI Courtesy Debbie Goard Full disclaimer: no dogs were hurt in the making of this cake! “As unsettling as this may look,” chuckles Goard, “this is actually how my customer’s corgi, Einstein, sleeps! That’s his favorite sock monkey toy.” 08 of 09 DEVIL DOG Courtesy Debbie Goard “My dog Pepino was the model for this cake–he sure gets around!” says Goard, who baked it for a Halloween-themed fundraiser. “I love it when people are expecting a ‘cake’–and I open the box to reveal something like this guy!” 09 of 09 SPECIAL DELIVERY Courtesy Debbie Goard Naughty little dog! To suggest this pooch got mixed up in the mail, Goard added what looks like a shredded letter. “This cake was to honor a beloved pug that was not fond of his owner’s mail carrier,” she says. “Apparently, he’d intercepted the mail more than once. He used to like to show the way he felt about intruders by sneaking through the mail slot!”