I have ferrets, domestic baby skunks, cats, shelties and collies.  These two
dog breeds are among the gentlest you can find.  They are wonderful with
small animals and children.  I never leave my dogs with my small animals
unsupervised, because you can never be too careful, but I do trust the dogs
to be in the room with them with me there.  They are very tolerant and
patient and I strongly recommend either of these breeds.As a final note, the
collie tends to be more laid back - some shelties can be quite hyper,
although still very gentle.
[Posted in FML issue 1641]