Following - I am also wondering about the best flooring for a house with a dog.

Is the "scratch resistance" a requirement or "urine concerns" the issue? Hardwood will withstand the scratching (solid hardwood can always be refinished = 60 - 80 years of service). Vinyl will take care of the urine concerns (sheet vinyl is better because there are no seams for urine to settle into) but vinyl can and will scratch (maybe not as much as hardwood....but it will STILL DO IT).

If scratch resistance is a HUGE issue (keeps you awake at night) then "wood-look" porcelain tile is the way to go.

Personally I think owning big dogs comes with compromises. The "finishes" in our home become compromised because of our pets (we love them....so we put up with whatever they do to the home - that's the compromise). Go ahead and choose the floor that fits your needs as much as possible and then allow it to age naturally. That's the compromise.

Or porcelain tiles and compromise on the cost of installation.

I have hardwood floors and dogs. My floors are 13 years old, and there are scratches, but none of them are from the dogs - even the 110-lb Lab we used to have. (MIL's walker - that's another story).

I cut my dog's nails about every other week - or as soon as I can hear his nails clickity-clacking on the wood floor. Not only is the clacking annoying, he gets better traction on the floor with his pads, not his nails.

Cancork had a lot of good points. Having your hardwood flooring coexist with your larger pets does take compromising on both ends. But you can have a nice hardwood floor and your furry friends too. If you're installing new, try a pre-finished solid (they have stronger and more durable finishes) or if your budget permits it, there are more dense exotic wood species that won't dent from large and heavy dog nails the way most domestic woods do. Here's a blog our flooring pros wrote on the subject, you may find some more helpful hints in there.

Good Luck!

Can Pets and Hardwood Floors Coexist?