Who is The Owner from A Wild Sheep Chase and what is their importance?

The owner of the Blue Dolphin is a lonely man who wants only for his father to love him. His father, however, is obsessed with the sheep and thinks of his son as weak. The owner is kind-hearted, however, and continues to care for his father, despite his cruelty. He leads the main character to his father as a resource for sheep, and is therefore responsible for the finding of the Rat and the sheep. In the end, it is unclear if the man and his father will reunite, but it is certain his son will remain loyal to his father until the end of his father's days.