German Shephard having accidents in the house

Question
I have a female German Shephard that turn one in Feb. and I have had her for alittle over five months. A few weeks ago she went to heat. She is mainly a inside dog. I noticed she didn't bleed much but her diaper was constantly wet all the time. I think she was peeing in it instead of going outside. She will tell us that she has to go out by barking at the door or knuging the door handle. Every since then she has been having accidents two times a day and we can't even trust her at night so she stays outside. When she has these accidents she hasn't been inside for long, at the most two hours. Prior to her being in heat she would stay inside for more then 4 hours during the day and lately she starting wanting to go out in the middle of the night. We are getting really frustrated with her right now and she has been staying outside a lot more. I am wondering if there is something wrong with her or if there is something we are not doing?

Answer
My next step would be a vet appointment.  She could have picked up some sort of an infection while she was in heat.  All the more likely if she was allowed to swim or given a bath before it was all over.  

May I ask why you haven't had her spayed?  Let me assure you, the dog world does not need more people going into breeding.  Check www.petfinders.org for how many German Shepherds in your need homes.  Nor is it an easy way to make money if done right.  Read what it says on responsible breeding at www.akc.org  Spaying eliminates the hassle of heat cycles twice a year and substantially reduces the chances of cancer later in life.

Putting her outside at night upsets me.  Ideally, you should buy a large crate with a grid in it.  The grid will keep her up out of any accidents until you solve the problem.  A less expensive solution would be a tie down restricting her to a limited area.  A blanket would absorb any urine and be able to go in the washer the next morning.