In what ways does the man disrespect his dog? How does this work against him in the end?

The dog is guided by instinct and the man is guided by a sense of arrogance. The man treats the dog as he treats nature: he lacks respect for both. He makes his dog walk on thin ice and tries to kill it to warm his hands. The dog and the elements are in sync with nature’s rhythms: the man is not. London's familiar theme of respect for this setting is hammered home when the man freezes to death alone in the snow.The dog will survive, he knows the cold and what his limits are born through ages of instinct and conditioning. In the end, the dog does not trust the man.