Carolyn and Frank Bistrian and their five dogs share a 22-acre farm in East Hampton. Guest dogs are always welcome.

Like many other pet-friendly innkeepers, the Bistrians, who run the Bend in the Road Guest House, are seniors in their second careers who understand the dilemma of people like themselves who can’t bear to leave their beloved pets.

Especially seniors who have filled their empty nests with an affectionate dog may find themselves less mobile than they were when the kids were around. My friends Betty and Emil Hager could never vacation together because one would have to stay home with their elderly dog, Blackie. Nowadays, however, it’s easier to take Blackie along. Simply visit petswelcome.com or petfriendly.com. Not every town or resort will come up with a pet-friendly inn, of course, but a good number will. There are also cabins, cottages or condos that can be rented for a week or even a few days, with all kinds of pets welcome.

Guesthouses and B&Bs all have different restrictions. Some limit their welcome to dogs of 50 pounds or less. Some will take all breeds and sizes. Some require that dogs be kept on leashes at all times; others have fenced areas where Fido can romp free. All require that pets, like their people, must be well behaved.

Carolyn Bistrian, 61, an artist and potter who also runs the Earthfire Studio and an art gallery in the Bend in the Road complex, and her husband, Frank, 63, a builder, offer dog guests an unusually idyllic vacation site. They have a walled garden where dogs can play, a jogging path where they can run, and a pet-friendly pool where they can cool off in summer. Rates in season are $255 a night with continental breakfast; off season, it’s $100 a night, no breakfast. See bendintheroadguesthouse.com.

Bill Putman also welcomes dogs to his 200-year-old Simmons Homestead Inn in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, a half-mile from the beach and “just down the street from the Kennedy family compound.” Don’t bring your cat, however. He has 30 of his own (kept in a separate area, safely away from guests who may be allergic to cats).

Putman, 70, widowed 20 years, rents 14 rooms in the main house, all named for animals: Giraffe, Herd of Elephants, Zebra, Horse and Hound, Rabbit Hutch, and so forth. He especially recommends the converted servants quarters for “folks traveling with dogs, as you have quick access to the backyard.”

Putman cooks hot breakfast himself — pancakes, omelets, all you can eat, but usually no choice. Dogs are not allowed at the breakfast table, but guests are welcome to store dog meals in the refrigerator.

The inn has another amenity: Toad Hall, which is Putman’s name for the garages where he stores his collection of about 50 vintage cars. Outsiders pay admission, but inn guests can visit for free. Rates vary from $120 to $250, depending on choice of room and season. There’s a $25 cleanup charge. See simmonshomesteadinn.com.

Charlie Lecouras is another innkeeper who welcomes dogs — also cats, ferrets, birds, rabbits and reptiles. His century-old Harbour Inn and Cottage bed and breakfast on the Mystic River is a short walk to Connecticut’s historic Mystic Seaport and downtown Mystic Village for shopping and restaurants. It’s also a short drive to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, if that’s your pleasure.

Lecouras, 64, who has been running the inn for 27 years, offers a “pleasant continental breakfast” year-round. From pet owners, all he asks is that you keep them on leashes, and, preferably, “no barking.”

Rates are about $100 for individual rooms, $250 a night for the cottage. Pet fee is $10 a night. Visit harbourinnecottage.com.

There are many other pet-welcome signs along the nation’s highways. If you’re motoring south with your “best friend” in the backseat, for example, you might want to stop at Joan’s on Jones B&B, on West Jones Street in Savannah, Ga.’s historic district. There’s a one-time $50 fee for a dog (no cats, please), but if you return years later with the same dog, there’s no extra charge.

“It’s an incentive to come back,” said owner Joan Levy, 64. You and your pet can “relax in true Victorian splendor.”

If you’re going on a cruise, you probably won’t be invited to take your sea-loving pet along — unless you’re sailing on a small charter line or private yacht. Most cruise ships won’t accept pets for various reasons, such as health codes and quarantine or entry restrictions for pets in various ports.

There’s one exception: Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 provides kennel accommodations, but only on trans-Atlantic crossings, New York to Southampton, England, or to Hamburg, Germany.