The Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild, The,
novel by Jack London, published in 1903.

Buck, offspring of a St. Bernard and Scotch shepherd dog, lives on a California estate until he is stolen and shipped to the Klondike. There he is trained as a sledge dog, and wins the leadership of the team from Spitz. He gives his entire allegiance to his master, John Thornton, even breaking the ice and dragging a 1000-pound load on a sledge so that Thornton may win a wager. After Thornton is murdered by Indians, Buck responds to the call of the wild, and abandons human civilization to lead a wolf pack.