toilet training

bichon It looks like back to basics for your little girl by the sounds of it,can you place her bed near an open door and make sure when your older girl goes outside Lola follows her,let the vet look at her he may find she has a bladder infection of some sort just see what he thinks,we thought we may have had a problem with Poppy when she came to us after being left in such horrific circumstances but she has been a dream of a dog,she comes up and lightly paws you when she wants to go out,but I must say she does go for about 5/6 walks a day.

Bichons are lovely dogs, but notoriously difficult to house train and if she's not sorted by 2 years old you have a problem. As Iam64 said they will return to places they have used before as, even if you're very diligent about cleaning up, they can still smell it.

If she has toiletted on a carpeted area you may have to replace the carpet to completely eliminate any remaining odour. Drastic measure may be called for. I used a training collar to stop my dog chasing and killing chickens. It had a vibrating feature which he hated. Every time he went near a chicken I activated the collar.

But to work you'd have to watch her every minute and that may not be feasible. It depends how much time and effort you are able or willing to put in. I'd also suggest a cat flap so she can go out when nature calls, if you don't already have one.

And yes, see your vet and ask if he knows a reputable dog behaviour specialist.

i only leave her once a week dragonfly1,and she has the elder dog all the while she has exercise every day and it doesnt matter if i am there or not,and iam64 i think your right about pads and repellants she is due a vet visit so i will discuss this thank you for your help

Quite often a sign of separation anxiety - what is she like to be left?

Don't use puppy pads. It only teaches the dog to go in different places. I don't think repellents work. The strong scent of urine will overpower that in the dogs nose. Dogs also tend to return to places they have toiletted in. Have you discussed this with your vet?

If there isn't a health problem, I'd look at how much exercise and food your dog has. Regular routines, make sure she's getting 2 good walks a day, as that helps with regular toilet habits. I suspect you'll have to revert to basic house training routines and not vary them.

Good luck!