This is what a Victorian bulldog winter looks like at our house in rural Maine. The leaves are down, the birches are bare, and the yard has turned that flat November brown. Stella has taken up her post at the window.
Most mornings now she sits there for a long time, watching the woods like she’s on guard duty, with the little teddy bear on the sill keeping her company. That’s about as close to the woods as she gets.
Why Stella Stays Mostly Inside
People picture a farm dog when they hear we live in rural Maine. Stella is not that dog. She’s a Victorian Bulldog, and her breed doesn’t handle extreme cold or even moderate heat for very long. So she spends most of the year indoors.
She doesn’t mind the cold at all. She just doesn’t stay out long. A quick trip outside, some sniffing, and she’s back at the door.
We Never Take Her Into the Woods
Between the bugs and the ticks, the woods are off limits for Stella. We learned that the hard way. When she was a puppy, she got away from us once and ended up in the swamp, soaking wet and covered in mud. Finding her was a relief. Cleaning her up was another story.
Now she stays in the yard and the house, and that’s fine with her.
Snow Days Are Her Favorite
Here’s the surprise: Stella loves snow. When the first real snow comes, she plays in it like a puppy again. She pushes her face into it and runs around in short bursts. Those snow days are short and sweet, and then she’s ready to come in and warm up.
Her Favorite Spot: The Pellet Stove
When we turn on the pellet stove for the season, Stella claims her spot right next to it. That’s where she spends the long, dark late-fall afternoons, stretched out in the warmth and snoring away. If you want to find her in November, check by the stove first.
Other times she is under the kitchen island where I work on the laptop or prepare the next meal, which, of course, she is ready for!
What I’ve Learned About a Bulldog in a Cold Climate
- Keep outdoor time short, in cold and in heat.
- Watch her, not the thermometer. When she’s done, she’s done.
- Skip the woods if ticks and bugs are a problem where you live.
- Give her a warm spot of her own inside.
How We Keep Our Bulldog Busy Indoors During The Winter
Since Stella spends most of her Victorian Bulldog winter inside, we keep plenty of toys around the house, like her knit pumpkin. A few minutes of play or practicing “sit” for a treat helps burn off energy on days when it’s too cold to stay out.
We also watch her weight more closely in winter, since she gets less exercise. Short, frequent potty breaks work better for her than one long trip outside, and she always gets a quick towel-off when she comes in from the snow.
She also loves playing with her toys, and just getting them out of the basket is a game that keeps her busy during the long winter months in rural Maine.
A Slower Season, Together
Late fall here is quiet. The days get short, the stove runs, and Stella settles in for the winter right beside us. She may be an indoor dog in the middle of the Maine woods, but she seems to like it that way.
Do you have a dog who’d rather watch winter from the window? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
If you’re new here, you can read how it all started in Bringing Home Our Victorian Bulldog.
Lisa moved from Southern New England to the rural mountains of Maine in 2020 with her husband. Drawing from her hands-on experience with slower-paced rural living, she shares the beauty, honest realities, and simple pleasures of life in the Maine woods, along with their rural travels across the United States and abroad.
