The dogs of Silent Hill can be annoying. They are fast and inflict good damage, especially under the hard difficulty setting when they attack in a group. However, you can get past an area infested with dogs by simply walking. As long as you do not attack one or walk up to one, you should be able to pass unhurt. This is very useful in the beginning of the game under the hard difficulty setting, as there are lots of dogs and no good weapons on hand. A good example of this trick would be this. If you run while on the platform (where Cynthia is shouting over the intercom), a group of dogs will jump out of the subway car and attack. If you walk, no dogs will appear from the car and you can proceed to the escalator with no damage. Note: This will not help with all enemies, just the dogs.

If you kill an enemy in an area infested with dogs, they will all run over and suck the blood from it, allowing you to get past them easily. Note: If you step in front of one, it will attack you.