As with any pet, the first rule is to be firm and consistent with training, and remember that rewards generally work better than punishment.
Reward your annelid when it behaves well. Fill up the bathtub with damp (not wet) newspaper and coffee grounds for your annelid to explore. They love it!
Express your displeasure as soon as possible when your annelid misbehaves so that it connects its actions with your disapproval.
Do not yell at your annelid as they cannot hear. Stomp your feet instead. In severe cases of disobedience, keep a salt shaker nearby.
If your annelid leaves castings about the house, lock your pet in a brightly lit room for 10-15 minutes after rubbing your annelid’s nose in it. Dispose of the castings in the garden. Once your pet makes the connection between in-house castings and bright light, the number of “accidents” should diminish.
When your annelid learns to moosh at the door to go out to leave castings, reward it when it returns by allowing it to explore any dark damp space, like that puddle next to the sump drain in the basement.
Above all, be patient. Properly trained and cared for, your annelid should live 10 years or more; otherwise you’ll find it dead and dried up on the sidewalk and all the love and affection will be gone. Enjoy!
[Top image found here.]
Tacky Raccoons 