Deborah Gregg Suchman and Robert Van Sickle were inspired to open a doggie bakery after they started making healthy, all-natural treats for Pearl, a one-eyed boxer the two adopted. Now their Polka Dog Bakery at 256 Shawmut Ave. is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the South End.

Karen Teller has been a regular at Polka Dog since the store opened. She brings her Airedale Terrier, Nick. She said their visit to the store is “the highlight of his week.” Here, Nick models a jingle collar.

Alicia and Roger Dowd are also regulars. They bring their 8-year-old Chihuahua, CC. CC’s favorite is the duck treats. Alicia said she prefers Polka Dog to the bigger chain stores because the food is healthier, and Roger likes supporting the small business. “There’s no place else like it around here,” said Alicia.

Polka Dog offers a wide variety of “strange meat” treats, as well as bakery items, like “pup-cakes,” that the owners bake off-site in South Boston. They even make doggie birthday cakes, which feature a barley flour and peanut butter base with a yogurt frosting.

Asia picked out a toy in the downstairs portion of the store. “You’ve got to take it upstairs and pay for it,” her owner told her.

Co-owner Robert Van Sickle said Polka Dog works with a select group of vendors to offer other retail products such as toys and dog beds. But the owners make and manufacture as much of what they sell as possible.

Co-owner Deborah Gregg Suchman says the store is community-oriented. It features corkboards with pictures of their doggie visitors over the past 10 years.

Some of those pictures even end up on the treat boxes.

It’s not just the locals that come to visit. Maegan Fee came from Newton with her 1-year-old Weimaraner, Zara. “Every so often we’ll bring her into the city and take her to the dog parks, and then stop in to get her a treat we can’t really find anywhere else,” she said.

Golden retriever, Bear, waits patiently while his owner buys him some treats.