Sniffer Dog

Template:Infobox SH monster The Sniffer Dogs are canine creatures in Silent Hill 4: The Room that have long, prehensile tongues that they use to drain the blood of their prey. They serve the same function as Groaners and Double Heads from previous installments.

Appearance

The female variant.

They have dirty, leathery skin which appears to be decaying and make snarling sounds which resemble that of a large feline or even a frightened rat. Their gums are prominent and hold large, dagger-like canines.

The male variety has visible eyes, ears and green-tinted fur and flesh. Females are missing eyes and ears and are purple-tinted with longer, sharper claws.

Character

Sniffer Dogs often appear in groups and are usually witnessed feeding on monster carcasses, something they do via literally stabbing their tongues into the dead and fiercely sucking out internal fluids, suggested by the violent quivering of their heads while feasting.

Male Sniffer Dogs are weaker and less threatening than females. The male Sniffer Dogs attack by charging and lunging at Henry Townshend's torso.

Female Sniffer Dogs are much more intelligent and tend to detect Henry's presence more quickly. The females are capable of grabbing onto Henry's leg and pinning him down while their companions attack him.

Symbolism

Their canine form is a reference to young Walter Sullivan's fear of dogs after he visited a pet shop during his childhood and was nearly bitten by one. The numerous animal noises the Sniffer Dog makes may also be a nod to the animals Walter killed in Garland's pet shop.

Additionally, their tongues bear a close resemblance to an umbilical cord, echoing Walter's longing for his mother.

Sinner's Reward

In Sinner's Reward, female Sniffer Dogs are briefly seen feeding on a corpse. They are identifiable by their tongues. Jack Stanton notes how fast they can run.

Trivia

• It is possible that the Sniffer Dog's behavior is modeled after the "Hounds of Tindalos" created by Frank Belknap Long. The Hounds of Tindalos were said to be creatures with long, hollow tongues, or proboscis, to drain victims' bodily fluids, and supposedly inhabit the foul angles of time. The Sniffer Dogs similarly are unique to Walter's foul Otherworld while Henry and Eileen Galvin are of, in Joseph Schreiber's words, "the Lord's world".

Gallery

Concept art.

Concept art.

Female and male Sniffer Dogs.

Sniffer Dogs engaging in cannibalism.

Sniffer Dog's tongue pierces through prey for feeding.

Two Sniffer Dogs in the Subway World.

Henry prepares for the Sniffer Dog's attack.

Henry lands the finishing blow upon a male Sniffer Dog.

A male and female Sniffer Dogs stalking towards Henry.

Sniffer Dog in the Forest World.

Henry in the Forest World with two dead Sniffer Dogs.

Henry and Eileen ganging up on a Sniffer Dog.

Three dead Sniffer Dogs.

Walter attacks a Sniffer Dog.

Sinner's Reward.

Sinner's Reward.