Dog just started urinating in house

Question
Hi Amanda!  I have a 10 month old female Weimeraner, she not been spayed yet and hasn't had a heat cycle yet. The past few days we have caught her urinating on the floor, she hasn't done this in a few months, and she has been shredding anything from pillows, comforters, ect. We do have another dog but we had him first and they get along just fine. He is a 2 1/2 year old Saint Bernard and he is neutered.  Could this be a sign of heat? I have no experience with a female dog.    Donna

Answer
It's possible she is going into heat, but I would definitely take her to your vet to rule out a urinary tract infection as well, since this is not a normal behavior for her.  Even though your male dog is neutered, if she is coming into heat, he is likely to pay special attention to her - sniffing her and the like.  The vulva will also swell and eventually you will see a little bloody discharge.  If you intend to have her spayed, but haven't done so yet, I would recommend doing it soon.  Studies have shown that spaying females before they go through their first heat cycle greatly reduces their chances of developing mammary tumors later in life.  

Amanda