Our present dog was a rescue and was two when we got him. He'd never been in a car or a house and has lived peacefully with cats and guinea pigs and even birds flying free in the house.
We also had a Greyhound that had a fantastic racing career and when she retired we bred from her, after that she become a house pet and we had several cats and a rabbit in the house. She was very laid back and gentle as is the dog we have now - I think the trick is in setting the rules before the dog walks into the house, making sure everything is safe and then making no bones about what the rules are - if it's wrong tell the dog in no uncertain terms and be very aware for the first few weeks of what is going on.