Are you concerned about the dogs scratching the floors? OR slipping on it? I'm with you on tile--I hate how it feels on my feet, plus it makes my back hurt when I'm on my feet cooking for awhile. I had it once in the kitchen, never again. Stuff also breaks easily when dropped on tile as opposed to hardwood.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring would be my pick. To say it's come a long way is an understatement. I wish the idiot po of my home wouldn't have double stacked new tile on top of old tile because I would have it in a heartbeat. As it is it would cost $$$$$ just to get all the tile out before buying and installing a new floor. The top of the line vinyl planks have beveled edges and a grain look that is amazing.

I would also go with the highest grade vinyl planks.

I have never seen a bamboo floor that I have liked. My neighbors had it installed a few years ago, they ended up buying big area rugs so they could cover most of it.

justerrilynn - Thank you for those photos, which clearly show how beautiful and functional vinyl plank flooring is. I don't understand the aversion that some people have to certain types of flooring which have made huge advances in recent years, but in my opinion it speaks to an ignorance of the high quality of options that are available today.

When we had our floors installed, I asked the company I hired that I wanted it finished in Spar varnish like they use on boats. That was 20 years ago. It looks as good as the day it was put in and I'm also speaking about the sun room has only screens. When it rains, it puddles up and lays atop the varnish. I dry it, nada. Looks like new so I'm a wood person. Yes lots of dogs have been there and cats and kids.

I think you can't go wrong with quality hardwood floors or quality vinyl. My sister just built a new home and had the vinyl that looks like hardwood installed in the entire home. It is gorgeous, easy to care for, and easy to stand on. I would install it in a New York minute in a new build.

I have porcelain tile in my kitchen and I hate it. It kills my legs and back. Anything I drop explodes. The grout is a misery. That said, I am sure it would hold up well to large dogs. Frankly, I'd prefer old fashioned linoleum to hard tile.

I have wood and carpets in the rest of my house and the wood has done well, but I have no animals now. There is one very bad stain in one bedroom where my son kept his ferrets many years ago. Sigh.

My concern about high quality vinyl over high quality wood is the resale value, the inability to refinish and just my own personal finickiness, sort like a high quality zirconia and a diamond. maybe they both look the same, perform the same, but I would know.

Oh my gosh, thank you all so much for your input!!! I'm so glad I posted. That vinyl looks amazing and you mentioned things I hadn't even considered about tile (breaking things, hard on feet and back, etc.) I also had no idea you could add a heavy coating to hardwood. You were all so helpful!! Thanks again!

For those of you with the hardwood floors with the heavy sealers, is it still important to install solid hardwood or could you get away with an engineered wood? We are just so worried about the dogs scratching it. Thanks a lot!!

We have prefinished hardwood, Oak and Brazillian Walnut and it's pretty tough. The Brazillian walnut in the kitchen is a little more tempermental, but 10 years after installing it, the oak shows no wear at all.

I would never consider engineered regardless to whether there's pets in the house or not simply because the hardwood install is a one time deal and it can be sanded two maybe even three times over the course of it's life.

With engineered, the veneer is so thin sanding isn't typically recommended so the homeowner would face that big expense all over again to lay new. I tend to think that hardwood would be more durable too...but maybe a lot of it depends on the dynamic of the home it's in.

It depends on where a house stands

Here for example many people have slab foundations, so engineered wood is typically what's recommended. BTW can get quite expensive too..it depends on the wood, manufacturer, etc

Otherwise hardwood would be my choice..probably.

In terms of scratching..think it depends more on what wood is it, for example we have walnut and it scratches like crazy, dogs or no dogs..I'm just okay with patina:) I love walnut too much

I think oak would be a much better choice, in sense of how it holds up

they have this scale (janka hardness scale I think)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janka_hardness_test