how would the man's relationship with his dog differ from the relationship we would have with a dog

Normally Americans see their dogs as their "pets" - they operate under the impression that the dog is man's best friend. We do not see them as work animals, nor do we see them as a being who would know how one survives in the wild. Yet, the dog knows more than the man; he survives when the man dies.

the man uses the dog to survive instead of using him as a best friend or a pet. at one point the man thinks about killing his dog which we would never think about killing our pets.33#3