Really Want A Dog But My Parents Wont Let Me?

I have been wanting a dog for several months now. I have had 2 dogs in the past but my dad got rid of them. One of them had brain damage and the other we couldnt potty train. But that was about 2 years ago. They were our first dogs so we had no idea how to potty train them so… bye bye! But i have been on Petfinder.com and have watched all the dog traing and care videos. i watched them all so much, i practically memorized them! i really want a small dog like a bichon friese or cockapoo. sumthing like that. i have good grades and am very responsible. i have a 3 year old tiger cat who i feed, excersise, and clean the litter box for. ive had him for 2 1\2 years. i have researched dogs and breeds and i know im ready? but how do i persuade my mom and dad? ive tried EVERYTHING!!!
~Amy

When Crate Training A Puppy, What Do You Do When He Won’t Accept The Crate?

I am housebreaking a 12 week old puppy using the crate training method. He hates the crate and immediately starts whining, worrying, clawing at the door, etc. He is normally a very calm and contented puppy. What can I do to make this more acceptable to him, both for housebreaking and for other times he needs to be crated? We have not put him in the crate for more than a few minutes at this point, because he is so incensed about it! If it has any bearing on your answer, he’s a cockapoo.