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We have hardwood floors. We have always said we'd never put rugs over it because we love the look of hardwood. However, it's really bad for their joints. We don't care about the nail/other damage, but are concerned about them slipping. They can't grip and end up slipping in all directions when they try to run. Now that one of ours has had TPLO surgery, we had no choice but to put down rugs in order for him to have some kind of traction in the house and not get re-injured. Our vet highly recommends that we have rugs down even after he is fully healed, since hardwood is terrible on their joints. We just might have to do that.
You don't have to get ugly wall to wall carpeting, there are some really cute and modern rugs out there. (think Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel)
Since you already have the wood floors and it sounds like they are in decent shape, I'd see if you could have them screened. Then apply (or hire someone to apply) 6-8 coats of finish!!!! If you clean up accidents quickly, it shouldn't be a problem. If you have foster puppies, maybe you could get a rubber mat and put that under an x-pen?
Our last house was built in 1923, and someone had covered the hardwoods with carpet. Being gung-ho, HGTV, 1st time homeowner experts we ripped up the carpets on the first floor and ended up with hardwood floors covered with old red carpet glue...that had been refinished in the past and were too thin for another sanding! We had to put in all-new flooring on the first floor. This is why I am recommending screening instead of sanding them all the way down.
Worst case scenario, you can have the old wood replaced if a dog damages an area beyond repair. We had to do this in two areas upstairs (not due to dog damage), where we had all original wood. I think they replaced 6-8 boards and it cost around $600 or so. But you couldn't tell a difference.
Our dogs didn't scratch the wood floors much. And if you have enough coatings on their it really just scratches the finish. Just think of it as adding character And when there's too much character, have the floors screened again.
My aunt has two huge dogs... a giant sized lab mix and a great big german shepherd. She has harwood flooring and I've never noticed any scratching on it. She probably has some pretty high-end flooring though.
They also make Soft Paws for dogs... little plastic nail covers that slip over the claw... probably would get way to expencive with fosters though...
I recently discovered hardwood flooring under the carpet in the house we are renting (which the LL has offered to sell us), and if we buy I will be ripping up the carpet in a heartbeat!! With having a dog that sheds so much, I hate the carpet :P
i have laminate flooring in about half of my house .... it is not even a very good grade of laminate.... in 6 years, none of the dogs that have been through have left one single scratch anywhere..... and they learn quickly that getting a good run going or stopping can be very difficult .... cuts back a little on the dave's tuck-butt 500 laps around the house.....
i have laminate flooring in about half of my house .... it is not even a very good grade of laminate.... in 6 years, none of the dogs that have been through have left one single scratch anywhere..... and they learn quickly that getting a good run going or stopping can be very difficult .... cuts back a little on the dave's tuck-butt 500 laps around the house.....
Laminate is definitely great for dogs. I was sold on it the day I took my dog to a vet and the waiting room flooring was laminate. All of the dogs were pulling on their leashes wanting to see each other. Their feet were clawing into the laminate---not one scratch. We are currently installing hardwood on our first floor, but I was very torn between choosing the hardwood and laminate. I knew the laminate would be the most durable choice with the dogs, but we went with the hardwood because we already owned a portion of it because friends gave us leftovers.
I'm probably in the minority, but my dog and I prefer carpet to hardwood and other hard-surface floors. He has never lived on hardwoods and therefore hasn't learned to manage them, and now that he's an old man of nine, visiting relatives or stores with hardwoods or similar floors is a real stress-fest. They're simply too slippery for him, and he's gotten to the point where he's terrified of them. He's had too many slips (including down stairs) that have probably hurt his hips and/or knees, and now he's wary. (The other day he refused to jump out of the back of the car onto the asphalt parking lot because the ground was rain-wet and shiny and I think it reminded him of the floor of the garage where I take my car.)
Carpet and a good vacuum works great for us. He's not prone to accidents in the house, but I find I really like Simple Solution, which can be purchase at PetSmart or similar stores, and will use both the spot treatment (in a spray bottle -- works great on any type of spill, not just pet-related ones) and the concentrated liquid in my steam-clean machine.
We bought a 1915 arts and crafts home with original hardwoods, newly restored, in much of the house. The bathroom was redone with stone tile, the kitchen is linoleum, and a much more recent addition in the back includes a carpeted den, but the rest of the house is hardwoods. As they are original, and nearly 100 years old, they have some imperfections that were left as they were during the refinishing process for character. We have made use of a couple of decorative area rugs in patterns that match the style of the house, to help protect them, but I vote no to the carpeting - not thrilled that they went that route in the addition, and may eventually change it.
When we have had a urine accident with our dog, it's not a problem as long as it doesn't go undiscovered...I just paper towel it up and disinfect. Warping/spotting can occur if moisture is left standing, no matter how good the finish.
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we ripped up the carpets on the first floor and ended up with hardwood floors covered with old red carpet glue...that had been refinished in the past and were too thin for another sanding! We had to put in all-new flooring on the first floor. This is why I am recommending screening instead of sanding them all the way down. 
And when there's too much character, have the floors screened again.
