Q: I would like to adopt a 95 lb. golden retriever, but my landlord says he will scratch the floors that were recently redone. What is the usual damage done? And what is the average cost for repair in a house with 4 average sized rooms with hardwood floors?
A: I am an animal lover too. Along with that comes large responsibility and a lot of patience I guess. Things will happen. Especially with a larger dog, a great amount of pressure is exerted through the tips of their claws on any surface and the impact will partly be determined by how well his nails are trimmed and filed smooth, how active the dog is, and what species of wood the floor is. If any floor is well finished, in your scenario, I wouldn’t expect the dog to easily scratch off the finish. However, he can leave nail impressions in the wood itself. The only way to remove these is by sanding the floors again. If the wear surface on the floor is too thin, it would mean replacing the floor.
What about putting down an area carpet and a runner for the main walk through? Also, and I don’t know how practical this really is, but I have heard that their are doggy boots. I have a 20 lb. Boston Terrier and he doesn’t make many marks on my floor, though some. He can really spin his wheels though. But in no case has he scratched off the finish.
It is kind of a tough call. I understand where your landlord is coming from. At the same time, floors are not table tops. They are meant to be walked on. I wear my boots (at times covered in snow) on my floors, with no adverse affects. It depends on ones expectations.