Pine with dogs

Q: We recently purchased a home with wide pine flooring. We love the look, but we also have 2 dogs and their nails have gouged and taken off the finish in certain areas.

What can we do to repair these areas and how can we protect the floors from further damage?

A: You could gently sand by had the affected boards to create a mechanical bond and coat just the planks with the sheen that is on your floor now. I love dogs and all animals. Thing is, if you clip your dogs nails, you also have to file them so they are not sharp as razors after you clip them. If your floors were finished with a fast dry lacquer sealer (several coats) and then finished with polyurethane, they will never be as durable as they could have been.