The high intelligence of these lovebirds means that they can often figure out how to manipulate their owners. The main response they are working for is attention, plain and simple. Even after you have established dominance, you must continue to maintain the pecking order with verbal and visual cues. Many lovebirds will learn ways to manipulate their owners. Some common tricks are to slam the cage door up and down, call incesently, or run back and forth along the front of the cage in a manner that seems desperate. The goal of all these behaviors is to get your attention. If you give the lovebird either positive or negative attention in response to these behaviors, you will reinforce the behavior.

If you listen to your lovebird, you will get to a point where you understand certain vocalizations. One particular type of call is known as the contact call. This is used in the wild when flock members want to touch base with each other or locate other lovebirds in their group. Often, the simplest way to avoid the development of a screaming problem is to answer the initial contact call quietly with a simple, "I'm right here." Using the same phrase in response to any activity increases the chances of your lovebird actually learning to mimic the phrase. If your lovebird continues to call after you have answered, often the best response is no response at all. Of course, if this call has a sound of alarm to it or is something you have never heard before, always check to make sure the lovebird is not injured or in need of help. Do not worry about being tricked by your lovebird a few times. You will quickly get to know which calls are meant to manipulate you, and you can then use the tactic of ignoring that particular noise. As you become more familiar with your lovebird's vocalizations, you will instinctively know when you must react and make sure your lovebird is fine.

Lovebirds vocalize to keep in contact with the flock and communicate. Their singsong chirping in the morning and the evening is an instinctive flock behavior done in the wild. You might say this is their way of communicating the day is beginning and the day is winding down. Most likely, these communal symphonies of chirping in the evening would be a way for lovebirds who are off searching for food to find the flock before sunset. Anyone who is interested in keeping a lovebird as a pet should understand that vocalizations will be a natural part of their lovebird's behavior. As long as the owner understands this behavior, he or she can avoid reinforcing negative expressions, such as constant squawking.

Another typical power play is refusing to go back into the cage. A good way to reinforce the lovebird's compliance when you want it to return to its home is simply to practice. Take your lovebird out for short play periods and put it back into its cage, praising the lovebird as you do so. You can also use a step-down command to place your lovebird out onto its perch. Take the lovebird out again a little while later and repeat this process. In most cases, the problem of a lovebird refusing to go back into the cage its a home where it is played with only once a day for an extended period. Short playtimes, sometimes even periods only five minutes long throughout the day or evening, can help alleviate this issue. Do not wait until you have a large block of time to handle your lovebird. If you have two minutes, take those two minutes to pick your bird up and talk to it. It will come to understand then that going back into the cage does not necessarily mean it cannot come out again until the next day.

Sometimes your lovebird will maniacally pace back and forth in front of the cage door as if desperately begging you to let it out. This behavior, along with repetitive lifting and dropping of a door to get your attention, is best ignored. If you react to these behaviors, you can reinforce them to a point where they will become annoying, not to mention exhausting for the lovebird. You should also take note as to whether or not your lovebird is able to lift the door up and stick its head through. Lovebirds are well-known escape artists. Should the lovebird get out when you are not home, this could be dangerous. Even worse, if the lovebird gets only its head out and the door comes back down, it could get trapped and strangle itself while struggling to get free.