Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- On a crisp autumn morning, my husband and I dawdled over blueberry pancakes on the veranda, knowing our golden retriever, Zibeh, was only a few dozen yards away.

She was probably asleep, since she’d spent most of the previous day swimming in the 250-acre lake’s “dog crib” and traipsing through the mossy forest amid yellow, russet and blazing orange leaves.

The Inn at Lake Joseph in Forestburgh, New York, welcomes pooches as heartily as it does their owners. The 15-room country bed-and-breakfast located in the Catskill Mountains about two hours north of New York City lets dogs stay for $25 a day.

Ivan and Ru Weinger, owners since 1982, said they figured 15 years ago that pets could be profitable. Now about half their customers bring dogs.

A Rotweiller puppy, an arthritic pit bull, a dachshund wearing a sweater, and a Chow were among the dozen or so canines sniffing around on our three-day weekend.

Many hotels and motels, including the Westin and Crowne Plaza chains, allow certain dogs in certain rooms. It’s unusual to find an elegant B&B welcoming all breeds. The Inn at Lake Joseph was the one in the Catskills listed on petfriendly.com and bring-your-pet.com, popular Web sites for pet travelers.

Built in 1873 as Talmage House by a Brooklyn businessman who died before it was finished, the inn was for a century run by the Roman Catholic Sisters of St. Dominic as a convent, school, farm and even drug rehabilitation center. Cardinals Hayes and Spellman of the New York Archdiocese attended retreats there in the 1930s, earning it a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Marshmallows on Demand

The inn has been restored and its parlors and drawing rooms filled with Victoriana. Original woodwork, leaded glass windows and cabinetry wrapped us in a cocoon while the outside grass frosted white.

The Weingers do their best to remember you and where you’re from. Ivan showed up in his golf cart one night by the communal fire pit and asked whether we had called for marshmallows. We hadn’t, but we gladly stayed to toast them and talk politics with the people who had, an environmental lawyer from Washington, D.C., and his artist daughter from Brooklyn. Our pups chased embers nearby.

Visitors with dogs can choose the Cottage, a three-unit cabin-style building, or the Carriage House, a turn-of-the century stable. The dog-less stay in the manor house (rooms $170 to $280 per night).

Each unit in the outbuildings has a full kitchen and separate bedroom. We stayed in the Eagle’s Nest ($385), which has hemlock rafters and a handsome shale fireplace. The upstairs bedroom had a spa tub, a double shower and a wraparound deck.

Move to the Redwood

After our first night we decided to stay a third. Our room was booked, so we moved to the Carriage House’s smaller Redwood unit ($320). The gas fire looked cozy but heated the sleeping loft to broiling.

The Weingers recommend about 20 eateries in the area, ranging from a diner to a family-style Borscht-Belt-era place and gourmet Italian. They should also include mileage.

Saturday afternoon, the scenic Byway along the Delaware River led us to Narrowsburg, an arts town in the Upper Delaware National Park. The restaurant we had chosen opened at 5 p.m. and a line had formed. There wasn’t enough time to dine while leaving the dog alone in the car.

Twenty-six miles later, we spotted Mr. Willy’s, where the parking lot was full. I ordered an autumn salad with apples and pecans. A half-hour passed before the server came to report they were out of apples. I asked for a cheeseburger, which arrived fresh and cooked as requested. When my husband complained that the chicken in his salad was dry, the waitress offered to buy us dessert.

Back at the inn, we ran into others who’d eaten at Mr. Willy’s. What did they choose? Autumn salad, a woman replied. “You must have gotten the last one,” I joked. No, she’d had to fetch the chef an apple from her car.

Woodstock Museum

Forestburgh is in Sullivan County, where fall is right for leaf-peeping, hiking, fishing and boating. The inn provides rowboats, kayaks, tennis and badminton racquets, bicycles and helmets all year, and toboggans, snow shoes and cross-country skis in winter, all at no extra charge. Catch-and-release fishing for large-mouth bass, pickerel and crappie requires a license, available on site.

The Museum at Bethel Woods ($13 per adult), commemorating the 1969 Woodstock music festival, is a 16-mile drive. Two hippie types walked in with us. They were the most authentic part of the place, which is nevertheless a lot of fun.

No cats are allowed at the inn, or children under 12 on weekends, holidays or in the summer. Dogs have to be kept off the beds. There’s a nice breakfast and make-your-own sandwiches, soups and dog snacks available in the kitchen all day at no extra charge.

Zibeh is panting to return.

The Inn at Lake Joseph is at 162 Saint Joseph Rd., Forestburgh, New York. Information: +1-845-791-9506; http://www.lakejoseph.com

The Bloomberg Questions

Best amenities: Dogs welcome and sporting equipment provided.

Service: Warm and personal.

Bathrooms: Spa-like at the Eagle’s Nest; small shower at the Redwood with a spa-tub in the loft.

Spa: None. The Fitness Factory gym, about five miles away in Monticello, can be used by inn guests.

Price: We paid about $1,390.99 for three nights with taxes and tip.

(Kathleen Sullivan is an editor with Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Kathleen Sullivan in New York at kmsullivan@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 4, 2008 00:01 EST