The short novel The Call of the Wild by Jack London tells the story of Buck, a dog that is kidnapped from an easy life in the Santa Clara Valley in California and sent north to be a sled dog in the Yukon. One of the differences between Buck and Spitz is their background. At the time that Buck joins Spitz's team, he is a novice in living and working in the far north, whereas Spitz is an experienced sled dog. Spitz has obtained his position of leadership by being stronger, fiercer, and more cunning than the rest of the dogs. He gets the other dogs to do their best work on the trail by bullying them into submission.

Soon after Buck joins Spitz's team, it is evident to both of them that Buck is a potential rival for the leadership position. Buck takes every opportunity to harass and annoy Spitz until all the dogs and even the humans realize that a showdown is inevitable. Buck is the first dog from the southland Spitz has encountered that has the strength and cunning to challenge him. In this, Buck and Spitz are similar: they both are aware that they have to earn leadership through their cunning, tenacity, and strength in combat.

Eventually Buck and Spitz have their showdown, and Buck vanquishes Spitz and takes over as leader. Their leadership styles are similar in that they both use physical power and intimidation to impose their will on the other dogs and make them obey and fall into line. However, they are different in that Buck proves to be a much stronger leader than Spitz. As London writes:

At a bound, Buck took up the duties of leadership; and where judgment was required, and quick thinking and quick acting, he showed himself the superior even of Spitz, of whom Francois had never seen an equal.

We see, then, that Buck and Spitz are both powerful, cunning dogs that use force to get the other dogs to obey and yield to their leadership. However, they are different in their backgrounds, and Buck proves himself to be a stronger and smarter leader than Spitz.