Man's survival instinct is different from that of the dog

The dog survives on instinct. It has an inherent respect for nature and her power. The dog is very apprehensive throughout the story, he only continues out of fear of the man and memorise of the whip of the dog sled. The man is more emotional. He is arrogant enough to think he can beat anything that nature throws at him. The old man at Sulphur Creek had warned the man to heed the warnings and signs of nature. The man did not and unlike the dog, freezes to death. Both are character foils of each other.