My partner and I are also the suburbs-with-dogs type, and although we are not "B & B" people we have managed to find a few nice gay guesthouses in our travels. Generally I find the guests to be much more down to earth than the stereotypes would suggest. I try to do as much research as possible on the internet, checking out other's opinions/reviews of a particular place before committing to a visit.

It's hard to generalize, but for me any place that is for "gay men only" and that advertises "clothing optional" or "24 man hot tub" makes me a little suspect. I've also found that some places are in less-than-desirable locations, usually located in the gay ghetto and close to the bars but not much else.

Some of my best stays have been in places for gay men AND women, where there is a relaxed "be yourself" atmosphere minus the cruisy factor (mostly everyone's already coupled at these places anyway).

If you mention where in Europe you'll be visiting you could get some good feedback here.