Animal performance is greatly affected by stress that can result from physical, social, mental, psychological, and emotional factors, individually or in combinations. It has been documented that cattle gain better when cared for by a kindly gentle person than by one who dislikes cattle. Emotional stress can cause duodenal ulcer and death in dogs. There is no reason to believe that sheep are not subjected to emotional and psychological stress. The stress of weaning, shipping, and even a change of feed can lead to poor performance and even illness and death. The objective of this discussion is to make us more aware of social, emotional, and psychological factors that may limit or enhance productivity in sheep.