We had unfinished red oak floors installed. They were then bruised, beaten & hand-scraped. Then finally a medium color custom wood stain went down, and then 4 coats? of a matte polyurethane finish. And let me tell you - the floors still look GREAT after 14 years of extreme foot traffic (hundreds of teenagers (church groups), very large adult get-togethers, numerous really big dogs, medium & small dogs, cats, and the scariest of all: TODDLERS!
Yes, they were costly - but there is nothing in this remodeled house that has retained its beauty & DURABILITY MORE THAN THESE FLOORS! If you are a low-to-no maintenance person that wants to really live LIFE in your own home - these are for you!

I've read anything above 1500 on the Janka scale should be acceptable. As such, we are looking at Walnut for a species as it seems the most widely available and affordable for our budget.

To add, I believe prefinished also comes as a harder surface than what you will get with a field finishing.

Walnut is rrelatively soft. It's about the same as cherry. And no way is it ''affordable'' for someone on a budget. Budget would be oak.

You are correct. I meant to say Hickory. Apologies.

Hardwood and tile are both slippery for dogs--at least for my two. I have a lot of area and throw rugs around in the main walkways so they don't slip. Other than that, tile is the way to go for accidents.

Hickory with a finish like Bona Traffic HD may be a good choice.