Lets take a look at the stages of a puppy's life; We tend to generalize here by setting 7 different stages of life that a puppy will follow. Although we end our stages at 18 months, please understand that many danes do not reach full growth or potential until at least 2 years and beyond. Never stop training, our danes love to 'work' for us and enjoy continually proving they can do what we would like as long as we provide the resources for them to accomplish that. As always, understand that many factors including genetics and environmental factors will play a large role in altering these stages and each puppy will progress at its own pace.
Stage 1 :: A transitional stage :: Generally 2-3 weeks 
This stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, during this time that your puppy's eyes will open, they will slowly start to respond to light, movement and sounds around him or her. The pup will also become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the whelping pen. They also start to recognize mom and litter mates, and any other objects you might place in the pen.
Stage 2 :: A 'coming out' stage :: Generally 3-4 weeks This stage usually lasts from 3 to around 4 weeks of age. The puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time becoming fully alert to their environment. They will begin to recognize you and other family members. It's best to avoid loud noises or sudden changes during this period. Negative events may have a serious impact on their personality and development during this stage. Puppies learn how to be a 'dog' during this time, so it's essential that they stay with mom and litter mates.
Stage 3 :: A social development stage :: Generally 4-7 weeks During this stage your puppy ia at a most critical social development period. They learn social interaction with their litter mates, learns how to play, and needs to begin to learn bite inhibition.
Mom will begin weaning the pups around this time and will start teaching them basic manners which includes accepting her as the leader of the pack. You should begin to introduce food to the pup around the 4th week with a gradual transition as mom weans them. The pups should be handled daily, but
should not be separated from either mom or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early may become nervous, prone to barking and biting, and may have a more difficult time with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with mom
and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably until 8 weeks for optimal social development. Experts say the best time in a puppy's life to learn social skills is between 3 and 16 weeks of age. This is the window of opportunity you have to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well adjusted dog.
Don't discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthing during this time. This is pretty normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.
Stage 4 :: A rapid learning stage :: Generally 8-12 weeks This stage is a stage where a pup learns rapidly and may experience a 'fearful' period in here where they become fearful of things they ignored previously. This isn't a good time to engage in harsh discipline, loud voices or traumatic events. Your puppy's bladder and bowels are starting to come in to better control, and they may be able to sleep through the night. You should begin teaching simple commands such as: come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can also begin. It's very important not to isolate your puppy from human contact during this time.
Stage 5 :: A juvenile stage :: Generally 12-16 weeks During this stage, your puppy can be compared to a human 'toddler', becoming more independent, and ignoring commands which they recently completed without hesitation. Firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training is required here. The pup might start play biting in an attempt to challenge your authority. A "NO" or "No bite" command, followed by several minutes of ignoring your pup should take care of this problem. Continue to play with your pup and handle them on a daily basis, but don't play games like tug of war or wrestling with them. They may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance, especially if they win. Wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppy'ss' strength grows, they want to play-fight to see who's stronger, and even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it's ok to fight with you. And that's not good!
Stage 6 :: An absolute 'brat' stage :: Generally 16-24 weeks This stage may last until about 6 months or so, demonstrating even more independence and willfulness. You might see a decline in their urge to please you, this is like testing your limits to see what you'll tolerate. There is also a teething cycle during this period, and they will be looking for things to chew
on to relieve the pain they feel. It's better to provide them with something to chew on rather than let them find their own chew toy. Frozen peanut butter inside a small kong is good for this.
The pup may try to assert their newly found dominance over other family members, especially children. Continue their training in obedience and basic commands making sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you're in a confined area. Many times, pups at this age will ignore commands to return or
come to their owner, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dogs' response to you. If you turn them loose in a public place, and they take off refusing to 'come' to you, the chances of injury or even death can result! You will also see hormonal changes during this period which can bring about physical problems.
Stage 7 :: A 'young adult' stage :: Generally 24 weeks-18 months This stage may last longer than 18 months and is generally a 'great' time for your puppy. Be realistic in your expectations of your puppy at this time. Although they may be approaching full growth and may look like an adult, they are not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect. Gradually increase the scope of activities puppy, as well as the training. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as agility training, or training for the conformation ring. By all means, extend their activities to include more people and other animals/dogs. Allow them the freedom to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.
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