I have ash floors with a polyurethene finish. If you look at my floors casually you don't see any scratches, but if you do a close inspection, you can see them. It seems like the scatches are in the polyurethene finish as opposed to the wood, because you don't see any change of color. Although I have some throw rugs, I don't have enough. The key is to put them in the traffic areas, the paths the dogs use going from one area to another. And yes, it's that fast take off that does it, not the walking. When you have dogs there is a some level of "perfection" that you sacrifice. Anything worthwhile has its costs. Would I ever not have a dog, just so I could have "perfect" wood floors? That question is almost laughable. The love, devotion, companionship, solice, fun, enjoyment that my dogs (and I have two) provide are on a whole other level to what a "perfect" wood floor could possibly mean in my life. If I ever move, I will always have dogs, and I would put in another wood floor, despite the cost and despite the minor scratches. I hope this will give your dad some perspective. I wish he could see my wood floors so he could see, it's not that bad.