Some woods are harder than others; check hardness levels before buying. I bought a lovely house in New England with wide pine floors (I know you're going for hardwood)... with three dogs, seven years later the floors look like driftwood.

Thanks for the comments! Yes, I truly want to go for hardwood but a heated discussion starts when those who know our home activity say we are only asking for trouble. UGH! I am concerned over house value. Lamenants don't sell!

Laminate is louder and sounds "fake." I prefer a good hardwood floor. It doesn't take that much maintenance and you can fix worn areas yourself.

I have 3 dogs and laminate does not stand up to 'accidents'. I hate it and this is the year it's going. Frankly, painted plywood would be better than laminate. You might want to take a look at some of the new vinyl plank products. They look amazing, have great warrantys, are completely waterproof so no problem for kitchen and bath, and they sound more like hardwood, at least the ones I've checked out so far.
Plus, you can do it yourself with nothing but a measuring tape and a good exacto knife.

Try strand woven bamboo floors. It's looks great, is harder than oak and is Eco friendly too http://www.bambooindustry.com/images/gallery/p7.jpg
And because the bamboo is woven, you don't see the joints. I have it in my house and its awesome. 3 years and it still looks awesome.

I wouldn't put down anything where "pet stains" would seep through little crevices (like bamboo). If you were to use hardwood, I'd ask them to slather on extra varnish to go down into the cracks, slightly filling them. The voice of experience (and a good customer of Nature's Miracle pet stain neutralizer).!

I agree with the hardwood assessment. It always adds to the value of the home and can be refinished time and time again with different stains/colors to reflect the changing times etc. Our White Oak floors hold up well to kids and pets alike. :-)

4 kids and a 100lb boxer is what my floors have to withstand. I just put a fresh coat of finish on about every 5years to keep them looking good. Large dogs are easier on a floor than small ones. The character of a #2 grade red oak with Synteko Classic Finish would work well for you.

Vicky - I won't try to convince you to use particular product because I sell and install all types of flooring. I definitely have opinions and favorite floor types but my favorites may not be yours so I try to stay product neutral as much as possible. What I will say is that educating yourself is the right course of action. Flooring is a very personal choice and although we chose to install wood and stone it doesn't mean its the best solution for you. Btw, I can relate to your home life as my wife and I have 4 very active boys and up until recently 3 indoor/outdoor dogs. We chose wood and stone because I love the intrinsic natural beauty that it has and felt no synthetic product can match it, because we didn't know how long we would stay in our current home and knew wood/stone offers the best value add and because we decided that we could look past the scratches and still appreciate the distressed floors we invested in for years to come. With that said, I know why we chose our floors but without knowing more about your circumstances, (budget, whether you plan to stay or sell in next 3-5 years, whether your dogs are properly housebroken, where you live/climate) any advise I would give would require too much guessing. If you feel comfortable email me and I will give you a quick flooring education or if you would like post your comments in this thread. Either way, I look forward to your feedback. 6peytonsflooring@gmail.com