This is not a wood choice, but I have "stair tread rugs" and they come in many different styles. Mine have been on for almost three years and only the bottom one has moved at all. I just need to put some new carpet tape on it. I have them partly to protect the stairs and partly to help my dogs get up and down.

Mine match my cottage style.

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This is the stair tread carpet tape:

www.amazon.com/Installation-Securing-Adhesive-6-Inch-32-Foot/dp/B01EZ8AAAM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523461063&sr=8-4&keywords=carpet+tape+for+stair+treads

My first thought was a full-length runner with those heavy metal bar thingies (stair rods, I think they're called) that hold the runner in place at the riser:

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As for wood types, if you don't want to use a runner, I'd pick a lighter colored wood (you didn't mention staining the hickory). Probably a matte finish, too. Hickory tends to be a bit more rustically styled than other species, so your pup will probably just add more character to it. Not necessarily a bad thing. :-)

I think, but am not certain, that "floating" stairs have no risers which may make it not possible to do a runner.

I don't have advice about scratching, but I do have two boston terriers and two solid oak staircases. My dogs are small, so scratching is not an issue, but one of my two dogs will not go up or down the staircases since we took them from carpet to wood. After we first had the wood put down, she slipped on them a couple times and then just stopped going up and down them. She just waits at the top or bottom of of the staircase for me to carry her. Your dog may or may not have the same issue.

We have two Golden Retrievers who use the wood staircase (no floating stairs, we didn't want that hazard for humans using the stairs), 70-80 lbs. The older dog (13 years) does have a bit of a problem with slipping on the stairs, so I recently purchased some adhesive clear stair treads. It has been helpful for him (and me) in terms of less slipping. The product said that it was removable, but I was less concerned about that than I was about protecting my dog from falling down the stairs.

We have oak hardwood floors, which the dogs have likely been scratching up for years, but the color is light enough that we don't see it. On our darker floors, however, the scratching is very noticeable.

we've had oak stair treads with 2 dogs for years, they have not scratched up the treads at all, and they are 80 lbs and 40 lbs. I have to say my kids were harder on the floors than the dogs ever were.

We have wood floors and wood stairs. When our lab got really old (11 - 13) we put carpet treads on the steps, for his benefit. Our other, younger dogs have no problem on the stairs.

I trim my dogs' nails as soon as I can hear them clicking on the floors - every 7 - 10 days. Neither my 100-lb lab nor the 32-lb Corgis have scratched the floor (though lots of other things have).

In an old rental long, long ago, we had open back stairs leading to our basement. Our elderly, terrier/poodle mix was terrified of seeing through the steps and refused to go up or down. If you think of it from a dog's point of view, it's easy to see why this would be disturbing. Of course, I'm a crazy dog lady who would do anything for our furkids and our dogs and horses rule our lives, but I would never have a floating staircase for this very reason.

We have a 10 year old Golden (62 lbs) who has used our uncarpeted stairs her entire life without difficulty. She will not, however, use stairs that she can see through or go over any sort of open grates. She is the most mellow dog we have ever known...vacuums and thunderstorms have no effect on her whatsoever...but she panics when faced with open stairs. The few times we couldn't avoid these situations, my husband carried her up or down to reduce her stress.

Has your dog shown any problems with open steps? (When our dog slips a bit on our stairs, it usually means the hair on the pad needs trimming which we do at home.) We will definitely add individual tread coverings when it becomes apparent she needs the help.

Many dogs do not like open treads .

Many dogs do not like open treads .

Me, neither! They creep me out. Ever since I was little.

To the OP -- So sorry that I uselessly suggested a runner. :-( It didn't click with me that y'all were using open stairs without risers (I don't recall seeing the term "floating" used to describe them before, which just means that I haven't read enough about stairs yet, lol).

I'm with a few others, too, in that I like to trim dogs' nails roughly every 2 weeks (as soon as I can hear them on the floor). If you start doing them yourself, and decide to use a standard cutter with a guard plate, buy some Kwik Stop styptic powder to stop the bleeding, just in case.

ODD...I'm the same way! The informed, civilized part of my brain says they must be safe, but the animal part says run away. I hope I'm never called upon to walk up floating glass stairs, because I don't think I could talk myself into it. I don't rock climb or jump out of airplanes either.

Don't be surprised if she refuses to use the stairs. One of my dogs was terrified after I changed the color of my kitchen floor from a light shade to a dark one. It took him three weeks to finally venture upon it.

Beautiful dog!