Thanks so much, that is certainly a simple solution......maybe I can persuade my husband that is the right path. :)

Other than the fact this is one of the cutest photos I have ever seen, the floor in front of Murphy's head looks pretty good to me! He's just paving the way for any stiletto-loving or rollerboard-carrying friends you have anyway. I'm with Marilyn.

Sorry, but my 90# goldendoodle is the best dog EVAR;)) Doodle trumps floors! Yours is toooo cute!

Thanks for your input bondsgreener, I like your perspective!!

I'm going to throw in a caveat here: oil based cleaners will void the warranty on your finish and may make your floor impossible to refinish when the time comes. We've seen M. Oil Soap ruin hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of hardwood floors. This cleaner is a hazard to finished wood.

Your floor is beautiful but it also looks like it has a stain to it. The slightly darker stain will "show" more scratches then a natural coloured floor. I would hazard a guess that if you had a natural colour oak down, you would not notice the scratches as much. They will still be there...but you wouldn't see them. A low(er) gloss satin would also have a 'hide the scratches' effect. The higher the gloss level the more visible the scratches.

When it comes to hardwood, there are several "must do" things to keep the floors looking decent. First off: pH neutral hardwood floor cleaner is all you should be using to clean this floor. Sweeping/vacuuming (without the beater bar) goes without saying. Oil based cleaners are OUT! I've had a cork floor ruined inside of 4 years because of an "eco-cleaner" that is "oil based" (basically a water down M. Oil soap). Stripped off the finish, the colour and even the pattern. Client was less then pleased that her "eco-friendly" cleaner "killed" her floor faster than anyone ever thought possible.

Hardwoods like to have a full sand/refinish around year 25. That doesn't mean they can't be done sooner. It doesn't mean you have to live with scratches that whole time. There is a "mid-life" pick-me-up called a "buff and coat". This can be done between years 7-12 (again sooner is not a bad thing). This is a normal process. It is suggested/recommended. It involves a professional coming in and "roughing up" your finish (not removing it) and then adding a coat of polyurethane. This will remove upto 75% of visible scratches. It adds new life/new protection to the floors so that they still look good at year 25 instead of looking like they have just been through a saw mill. It also offers the chance to change the gloss level if you wish. You cannot change the colour during a buff and coat.

The buff and coat is roughy 1/2 the price of a full "sand/refinish" (half the work/product = half the price). You run the risk of ruining the floor/this option if you use oil based cleaners. They prevent the machines from stripping the floor and they prevent the wood from accepting another finish. That can mean your floor that should outlast you is now down to 25 years of service and that's it.

If you wish to move to a penetrating oil finish/hardwax you will need to have the full sand and refinish done (expensive). The finish is then reapplied EVERY YEAR! Yep. That means every year you get to move your furniture, apply the product and then leave for a few days (this is a homeowner diy product). This form of finish is beautiful....stinky....and a hassle because of the constant (yearly) up keep. It is great for spot-removal/scratch removal as the homeowner can do it in half an hour. Not so great if you don't like the idea of moving furniture every year...and they are often quite smelly (they give me migraines = can't be around the product while it is curing for several days).

You are a wealth of information thanks so much for your input. I am very glad to hear your thought on Murphys Oil soap, I walked through an open house a few days ago with beautiful floors and 4 large dogs the owners housekeeper swore by it....glad I have not ventured to Target to her my own yet.

Gorgeous dog! We call the golden retriever x poodle a Groodle! What ever you call them they are just the most beautiful dogs! Wouldn't worry about floors they will just have some character. Remember you live in a home not a showroom.