The dragons aren't all that common but they live in the nearby mountains and after a harsh winter are more likely to come looking for easy prey to fatten back up on.  What are the major design considerations likely taken into account by those people living on the edges of a dragon's sphere of influence?

The dragons I'm thinking of here are along the lines of Smaug. Large fire-breathing flying dragons that don't really need to go out much unless the fancy takes them or they get peckish.