Laminate will do you just fine. My fish tank was leaking, and water was trapped underneath the wood stand. Who knows for how long. When we moved the tank water flow, and I mean flowed out from under the stand. The floor was perfectly fine. If I had to guess how long is was trapped Id put 4 days on it.
Skip Lumber Liquidators, they "skip the middle man" and add the price right back in there. Look up Crown Flooring they are on the edge of Reynoldsburg and Pataskala on Rt40. Good people great prices.
We had an italian grey hound, these dogs run with their claws. There it not one scratch in the floor. The floor has had stuff dropped on it with no problems. Its tuff stuff.
I have seen many hardwood floors keep impression of impact, you wont find this in laminate.
I did our whole house myself. Its not hard, Im sure you and your wife could do it, and save big. You need basic tools, and good bladed mitersaw, or table saw.