Well, I Admit It....She's The Boss

[kendrafitz]

Rosie has been using her word UP!?!?!! all the time. When she uses her much loved word, she lifts her foot and looks at her employee (me) with anticipation. Since she demands I pick her up at least 30 times a day, it is sometimes met with a firm No. Which leads to a more demanding UP and round and round we go. Sometimes she gives up and sometimes she gets frustrated and just let's out some ear piercing screams.

This is what happened Monday.

I am sitting in a recliner and Rosie is on her tree. Everything was going nicely until I accidently caught her attention by shifting my weight. Rosie moves to the edge of her tree branch.

Boss - UP?!?!?!!
Employee - No Rosie. You need to eat your breakfast.
Boss - UP!!!!?!
Employee - No Rosie. Go eat and let Mommy drink her coffee.
Boss - UUUUPPPPPP!!!
Employee - I am not going to pick you up now. Please stop and go eat.
Boss - silence....

Suddenly there is a wind blowing my hair and a rustling of wings. A large red bird has now landed on my arm. And, because I was a bad employee and made her fly to me, I received a good neck pinch as punishment.

Sigh....

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[PlaxMacaws]

Haha! She's keeping you in line - won't take "no" for an answer it seems ;)

[The Pinkertons]

If you don't jump up and do what you are supposed to do Kendra, she'll have to learn the famous words from Donald Trump... YOU'RE FIRED!

[Shyra]

Gotta love em! My grey girl is demanding like that. Only when I don't do her bidding she will go mess with something she knows she isn't supposed to knowing I will have to go pick her up.

[kendrafitz]

Tony - No is a word Rosie does not like at all. Unless she is saying it to me, then it's fine. Sadly she tells me no often. ;)

Suzanne - You are so right!! I quit my job with the kids and farm several times a day. The animals ignore my resignation and the kids tell me I can't quit. It would be a nice change to be fired. Lol...

Shyra - that is funny. Rosie does the same. I'm glad I'm not alone. ;) She will go after my bracelets or tablet if she wants me to preen her and I stop. She has also gone after my lamps if I am not doing what she wants. Bossy little creatures!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Lady]

Goodness she's a character.
I know when Lady is giving me a hard time I give her a warning before I just up and leave the room. If I can close her door, I do so, if not I close myself in another room and ignore her for a minute or two depending on what it takes for her to calm down. I will ask her if she is okay now before I enter the room. If she responds with a normal volume, I don't enter the room entirely but will stand at the doorway and talk more to her. If she is over her demanding attitude then I will slowly walk in and have a seat, if not I turn my back, sometimes I have to leave the room for a little longer. If all works out we try again. It can be a most trying struggle to teach her that she does not get to have her way all the time.
Since she doesn't like the word no, how about a different word? Be nice, be good, or something along those lines? I use warning words, mostly I will say stop, or I'm going to leave. Right away if she doesn't, I leave the room.

[The Pinkertons]

What works for me is THAT'S IT! in a loud fed-up tone, while telling them to go to their room ( cage) I don't like to say cage :(... Believe it or not they go inside for some downtime.

[kendrafitz]

Alice - Lady is such a love. I miss reading about her. As for my diva - no words really work when she has her mind set. I do tell her to be a nice girl, please wait, etc. This is generally met met a No accompanied with a full body bounce/bob. I'm ok as long as she isn't screaming for the most part. Even when she is beind demanding. We are working to get her to express what she wants with words i/o screams. So I don't want to discourage her even though UP can be incredibly annoying. I just tell her why it's not happening or tell her to wait and the reason. Same as I would with a toddler. :)

It's the screaming that is intolerable. When Rosie screams she gets warnings. I will say, please stop screaming and use your words. If screaming continues then I say Rosie, if you don't stop screaming you will have to go upstairs to Mommy's room ALL BY YOURSELF. Is that what you want? Sometimes she says No and calms herself down. Sometimes she continues to scream so up she goes.

Suzanne - I don't know about you, but really think they need downtime. I notice the days I don't work she seems to scream more. I think it's bc she just relaxes in her cage for the 4 hours or so that I'm gone. Everyone else is upstairs and its quiet except for her music. When I'm home she doesn't get that. So there are times she seems happy to go to her stand in my room by herself. Never hear a peep once she is there. So maybe she is telling me she just needs some alone time? :)

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[bill-e]

I agree with the downtime. My last bird from the day I brought her home 40 years ago would take naps during the day, with her head turned and her beak nestled in her shoulder feathers. I've never seen Nike take a nap during the day but I have noticed that when she gets to screaming and I put her in her cage she quiets down and "meditates".

So I believe that they get tired and cranky and need a nap but because we're around, just like a toddler, they want to be up and not take a nap no matter how tired they are.

If I'm home but in my shop she is content with being in her cage all day without a fuss, I think because she can relax when she wants and stays in a better mood ;)

[Shyra]

I agree about the downtime. I find mine are better behaved if they get a quiet time or better yet nap during the day. Our day usually starts at 4 a.m. so by noon it's been a long morning for them. Today their are workers in the yard so the dogs won't be quiet. Harley (grey) won't behave and Gandalf (gw) is very fussy. I'm ready to put them both in their cages.

[Lady]

I too must agree with down time. Lady will sit on the front of her cage and fuss at us even if we are right in front of her. I tell her it's time for a break and send her into the cage and cover it half way. If she settles then it will come off in a few minutes. Sometimes she lets out loud squawks, that to me is her way of saying she want out, like a child who says they don't need a nap. But after one or two times she will settle down. When she settles down I turn the lighting down low and open the cover. If she remains calm I will take the cover off and open her door. She will come out with a better attitude.