by Jane Leisteiner

Browsing through messages in the guest book, one can readily see that the Burnt Toast Inn is a partnership. Owner Sarah Okuyama handles the business end — reservations, accounting and food prep, while Bo shares responsibility for making everyone feel at home. He’s irresistibly handsome, with almond-shaped eyes and a perpetually furrowed brow that projects concern and caring. Sarah says, “Everyone falls in love with him.” A cross (she thinks) between a Rhodesian ridgeback and a mastiff, Bojangles has been involved since Sarah opened the bed and breakfast in 2004 in Ann Arbor, MI. Like many large breeds, the 90-lb. pup has a laid-back disposition that wins friends immediately. And like most sensitive innkeepers, he knows when to be attentive, and when to withdraw and give guests space.

With his dashingly good looks and floppy ears, Corky the Miracle Dog is an important member of the inn keeping family at the Whitegate Inn in Mendocino, Calif. A Portugeuse Water Dog, Corky will often visit with guests after breakfast or socialize during the bed and breakfast’s wine and cheese hour, making everyone feel right at home. His beloved parents, innkeepers Susan and Richard Strom are happy to share Corky’s incredible adventure. After you hear the story about the dog who wouldn’t give up and the community that rallied around him, you’re sure to agree that this is one special furry friend.

“The guests at our B&B love to interact with the dogs when we’re out on a walk,” says Bob Hayes, owner of the 1890’s Captain’s House on the Lake in Granbury, Tex. It would seem that Rudy the Dalmatian and Milton, a retired greyhound, also enjoy spending a little time with guests. That is when they aren’t too busy chasing ducks into the water or relaxing by the lake.

Nestled on more than 450 acres in scenic Ozark hills, Meramec Farm affords many wonderful places for Feisty and Sylvie, an adorable pair of terrier mix dogs, to relax and enjoy themselves. Oh, and the guests enjoy the pastoral setting, too. Your canine innkeepers are happy to show you the way to the swimming hole. In addition to these two furry friends, there are an abundance of farm animals to enjoy.

For innkeepers Ellie May and Melvin, life at the Canterbury Cottage in Bar Harbor, ME, can be hard. Some days they cuddle up with guests for an afternoon nap. Other days, you’ll find them fast asleep in the living room, dreaming of the perfect breakfast entree, no doubt. In truth, the canine friends aren’t allowed at the breakfast table or in the guest rooms, but they are always ready for a little love. “Dogs sense whether or not you’re a dog person,” says innkeeper Martha Helfrich. If you are a dog person, this schnauzer-poodle mix and lab-poodle mix will be some excellent new friends.

Breezy, a sweet cocker spaniel, is a city dog with a city job. No chasing sheep for him, he greets guests every day at the Hayes Valley Inn, which is located in downtown San Francisco. Breezy strives to make all of her guests feel comfortable and right at home.

While pet innkeepers might dissuade some, their human counterparts are unanimous that having a furry friend around rates two paws up. “Dogs provide an extra dimension of comfort,” says Sarah Okuyama, whose dog Bo welcomes new guests every day. “Especially those who miss their pets at home.