When he fails to build a fire, the protagonist wants to kill the dog and bury himself within the dog's body to thaw himself out and then rebuild his fire. However, when he calls the dog, the dog senses something strange:
"He spoke to the dog, calling it to him; but in his voice was a strange note of fear that frightened the animal, who had never known the man to speak in such way before."
The man then realizes that he can't kill the dog because he doesn't have use of his hands. The dog breaks away from the man, snarling, and after the man dies, the dog "turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp it knew, where were the other food-providers and fire-providers." The dog and the man have never truly developed an affinity for each other because the man only sees the dog in utilitarian terms; therefore, in the end, the dog does not want to help the man.
In The Call of the Wild, however, the dog, Buck, develops a deep connection to Thornton after Thornton rescues Buck from cruel owners. London writes of Buck, "Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time." After Thornton shows this type of concern for Buck, Buck is entirely devoted to him. London writes, "Buck's love was expressed in adoration. While he went wild with happiness when Thornton touched him or spoke to him, he did not seek these tokens." In other words, Buck doesn't even need treats from Thornton because he loves his owner so much.
As Thornton has shown so much concern for Buck, the dog helps Thornton and even saves his life. When Thornton is thrown out a boat and is being carried down river, "Buck had sprung in on the instant; and at the end of three hundred yards, amid a mad swirl of water, he overhauled Thornton." Buck rescues Thornton not just out of a sense of instinct but because Buck loves Thornton. In both stories, men and dogs play vital protective roles for each other, but only when the dog truly loves the man, as Buck loves Thornton, is the dog willing to sacrifice his life for his owner.
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