ISLAMORADA, Fla. — Call me a curmudgeon, but I'll take barking dogs over screaming kids any day. As a mother and a dog owner, I'm qualified to say that.

Finding the White Gate Court Resort in the Keys that welcomes dogs (and the handicapped) but offers nothing for youngsters was an intriguing idea. Children can come, but they would likely find it boring here.

Jimmy Barron (ENLARGE)
Jimmy Barron A game of water fetch is a popular pastime with dogs and their owners at the pet-friendly White Gate Court Resort.
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IF YOU GO White Gate Court Resort, 76010 Overseas Highway, Lower Matecumbe, Islamorada, FL 33036 (at mile marker 76, gulf side). Summer rates, through Dec. 1, are $140 to $265 a night; weekly rates also available. Winter rates not yet determined, but will be posted on the Web site after Sept. 15. Other fees: Dogs, $5 nightly up to 20 pounds; $10 for dogs over 20. Boat trailers, $8 to $12 nightly. Handicapped accessible, including the dock and beach. 305-664-4136, Web site

There's no pool, for starters. But who needs one with the glorious Florida Bay just steps from the porch on your cottage? A white sand beach with steps leading to the water and a dock with benches to watch fish under it is all-natural entertainment for easy-to-please adults.

It's a kick watching the owner's dogs, Luke and Barney, enjoy their morning swim with her. Other guests' pooches played water fetch for hours the day we were there.

These were all good-size dogs, Labrador retrievers and lovely setters. There's no size limit for pets; Otto Norris, my giant Rottweiler, would have been welcome, as well, but he likes to howl annoyingly on long car trips, and I don't have a hose-proof interior for the slobber mouth.

There's plenty of space for the dogs to run, with landscaped acreage fronting the highway and the cottages well off the main road facing the water.

The rooms are pretty on these few acres. This was a 50-year-old property in run-down condition when the owners brought it up to date in 1995. They live on the property and continue to refurbish it. Two years ago, it won a beautification award from the island's Chamber of Commerce.

The cheery yellow-and-white cottages — there are five, with seven bedrooms among them — have sitting rooms, full kitchens and cable TV. The porches are set up for outdoor cooking, with a gas grill, patio tables and chairs, and citronella torches (necessary in the summer, when mosquitoes are mean).

We took advantage of the resort's paddleboat to check out nearby islands. When its underwater linkage came undone, the owner's helper swam several yards to tow us in to safe harbor. That's personal service!

A bike path runs along the highway for a few miles north and south of the resort; bikes are available from the front office.

If you come by boat, you can use the private docks; boat trailers are accommodated on the property (for a fee). A public boat ramp is nearby.

The beach is the best part, however. If you stay to lounge around on the private shore, they'll provide you with beach towels, and even towels for drying Fido. Umbrellas shade the tables at surfside.

Bring your snorkeling gear, or pick it up (free) at the office. You'll want to swim in the incredibly clear water, where fish will tease you and the dogs.

And the stroke? The dog paddle, of course!

Jan Norris is a staff writer for the Palm Beach [Fla.] Post.