In intensive husbandry systems animals are frequently exposed to humans and it is important that they react calmly in their presence. This can be achieved by developing a good animal-stockperson relationship through a process called gentling, through which young animals are exposed to human contact. In this study the authors examined the role of human contact with or without the ewe being present on the gentling of lambs. Ten pairs of lambs were raised artificially, without their mother, and half of them were exposed to gentling humans for 30 min on six occasions. Another ten pairs of lambs were raised by their mothers, but one lamb in each pair was gentled by a human for six 30-min periods as well. Lambs were later tested in the presence of a human, and in a second situation in which the lamb chose between a human and another ewe. Artificially raised lambs were calm in the presence of the stockperson, and preferred the stockperson to the unfamiliar ewe. Mother raised lambs that were gentled were less vocal while in the presence of the stockperson than were their twins that had not been gentled. Thus, gentling was somewhat effective whether the lambs were reared by the mother or artificially, but the greatest effect was for articially reared lambs.