Despite Buck respecting his French masters, life among the other dogs was savage. This is due to the sled team he had become a part of and fighting for respect within the team. Although the relationship with Francois and Perrault wasn't filled with the same amount of abuse as with the man in the red sweater, Buck was aware that there was danger with his new owners: "They were a new kind of men to Buck (of which he was destined to see many more), and while he developed no affection for them, he none the less grew honestly to respect them. He speedily learned that Perrault and Francois were fair men, calm and impartial in administering justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs" (London, 7).
Buck's time with Francois and Perrault wasn't based on his relationship with his new owners but on the relationship with his companions. The effect of the other dogs treating Buck unfairly gave an insight on how nature would treat him. This is a contributing factor on his relationship with John because of Buck's eventual desire to be in the wild rather than in confined inside. This is most evident on Buck's first day with Francois and Perrault, during an incident where Buck looked on as one of his shipmates, downed in a fight, was savagely killed by the anxious pack of dogs. From this fight Buck learned that in the event of a quarrel, he must always stay on his feet. .
The relationship with John was foreshadowed from this point on to not be a traditional owner/pet relationship. Buck's wild instincts would prove to be the catalyst for how John and Buck's relationship would function and this is based on Buck's interactions with Spitz. Spitz, the sly-eyed and powerful lead dog of the sled team, took pleasure in disputes between the other dogs. The animalistic behavior displayed by Francois and Perrault, such as dogs being slashed seemed to amuse Spitz and was a factor in the animosity between him and Buck.
