I would really like to delay spaying Raven, our staghound puppy, until she is two years old and fully grown. Everything I have read, here and about sighthounds specifically, says they need the hormones for the bones and joints to mature properly and be their most healthy. However, we live in a neighborhood with lots of dogs, frequent loose dogs, and it is likely that some of them are intact males. What precautions can I take to ensure that I do not have a surprise litter? Can I even walk her during her heat? Will I have to take her outside on a leash for potty time and keep her inside at all other times? Our backyard is fenced, but a determined dog could dig under it. Will her times of being in heat affect how my older, neutered male relates to her during those times? Any information, links or advice would be very helpful. I want to do right by her health, but I don't want puppies, or have my house besieged by every neighborhood romeo twice a year.
(PS. I don't wan to open the "when to spay" can of worms, because I think it's been pretty thoroughly discussed elsewhere on the site)

She WILL attract other dogs. When it comes time to take her for walks, how are your gun laws? LOL!

As to your older neutered male, some still are attracted to a female in heat. I think it's an individual dog thing.
I had a neutered dog years ago that my OB club would use to test when their bitches were in prime time. He ignored them all but those few days.

I know other dogs will come around--supervising and controlling pets is not the strong suit in this neighborhood. I guess what I need is a picture of how life needs to be while she is in heat so I can assure she doesn't get pregnant. Raven is my first female anything, except for a pair of rats I had once. A different type of situation, obviously. She's only 10 1/2 weeks, but I do best when I and prepared long in advanced.

What is "in" this dog other than greyhound/deer hound? The western coyote hounds that I have seen are basically long coated or wire coated greyhounds.
Greyhounds as a rule have WAY less orthopedic issues than other breeds. If her first heat is a mess (and it may be, not all hounds are clean freaks) I don't think you'd be doing a bad thing to spay her before maturity.

Betty, the coyote hound is another form of Lurcher. Lots of different crosses but the traditional cross is Greyhound and Collie. Often Bearded Collie The idea behind the traditional cross is to breed more control into the sight hound with herding dogs. A smaller version would be Whippet and Border Collie.
The origin of the lurcher was as a gipsy dog for poaching at night called Lamping.
Stag hound is a term used for a lurcher to lurcher breeding.
Exactly what is bred into them is dependent on what they will be used for. Many breeds have been used. Pit isn't uncommon and I've seen some with Airedale in them.
I had the opportunity to go on a coyote hunt about 20 yrs ago in kansas with a pair of lurchers. Amazing speed and deadly dogs when the time comes. It almost looked like the coyotes were slowing down when the dog hit their stride.
TONS of good articles on the web.

The MOST BEAUTIFUL dog I ever saw was a yellow coyote hound in the Sandhills of Nebraska. He stood like 35" at the withers,his nose reached my elbow, mascara eyes, black lips, mouth a foot deep, a huge "smile", greyhound profile, shorter but borzoi type fur, feathers on tail and legs, a movie star. His back was a foot across, solid muscle.
He wore a 3" tight high leather collar and was tied with a log chain. The chain was whipping around like a clothesline. The family were rancher friends of my husbands.
They hunted nights over 10K acres with a pack of these, they had about 15 of them, guys following in pickups and 4 wheelers and younger guys on horses. The females were not tied up, were smaller, meek and doggy, but all the males were chained about 20 ft apart so they could not reach each other.

If I had a pup from the pack I saw I would be spaying her early in an effort to gain some element of domesticity and I would have 0 worry about hip dysplasia.

Her breeder says the mother is pure staghound. She is longer coated than a greyhound, but not by much. Her father has greyhound and borzoiin him--he has a broken coat and prick ears. I would be so happy if she showed up with a few more borzoi-style looks.

Here is their websight with pics and info on the mother and father (Zenyatta & Gus). I met both and they were reserved but friendly and very tolerant and gentle with my kids. I did not get to see them hunt (yet, maybe next summer >D )

If it would not affect her hips/growth, I would prefer to spay her at 6 months just because this neighborhood is so rife with loose and unsupervised dogs.

forgot the website link:
http://wavinkworkingdogs.webs.com/staghounds.htm

I am jealous. I didn't realize this was a "breed", the people I met were cowboys,like REALLY cowboys -- as a new bride we went with my inlaws to this huge ranch, I thought coyote hunting was barbaric , it seemed a blood sport, not so different than dog fighting. I shut up! 20 miles to a gas station, I thought those hounds were their own thing.
I looked up Lurcher following Bob Scotts lead. I saw a yellow dog something like that one I saw 25 years ago.
I don't know if these dogs get hip dysplasia. Look for breed incidence of hip/elbow on the internet in sight hounds, it's rare. Common in collies though.
Bloat is a big problem. You'll have to watch out for that.
Let other folks comment on when to spay her. Perhaps you could MAKE her have orthopedic problems by getting her fat and spaying her young.

Well, I hope to avoid the fat part through exercise and diet. Working on that for myself too. I don't think the staghounds have collie in them--not that the breeder or any sites I've read said. The emphasis seems to be getting as much of the greyhound speed as possible with the borzoi endurance and deerhound ruggedness with good, weather and terrain-proof coats.

They have one of Raven's sisters left, I believe. ;D