What is the relationship between the man and the dog?

It's not a very good one. The dog only obeys the man because he remembers the whip. The dog knows by instinct that it is way too cold to travel. The dog tries to lag behind but the man is clueless to his dog's signals. Eventually the man attempts to turn his dog into a sleeping bag but the dog is on to him. This guy is a jerk! The dog finally leaves him.