Avoiding repetition — "hallway"?

Question

In many forums, I have seen people keep saying to avoid repetition of the same word in a paragraph. But in the sentence like below, how do you avoid the repetition? > Suddenly, the dog stands up and stares at something in the hallway. A shadow of something enters the living room from the hallway. The dog continues to stare towards the hallway. I have to repeat the word *hallway* three times, and see no way to avoid it. Why and how should I avoid?

Answer 1

Consider rewording as follows if it maintains your intended meaning:

Suddenly, the dog stands up and stares at something in the hallway. A shadow enters the living room. The dog continues to stare towards the hall.