The Dogs were bitterly disappointed to lose to the Magpies, particularly given they had done "a lot right" (as coach Brendan McCartney put it post-match), and the consensus was that they had performed admirably for the majority of the match against an opponent that had been expected to win comfortably.
This week the pressure rises on the Dogs as they take on an opponent they are expected to match. The Bulldogs have a 2-4 record and are 13th on the AFL ladder, while the Kangaroos are 3-3 and 10th.
But the Dogs aren't daunted by the challenge as they eye a third victory in four rounds.
"Obviously it was a step up for us last week and we'll probably undo the work if we didn't step up again this week," Higgins told AFL.com.au.
"We'll be looking to bring that intensity, tidy up a few little areas and then hopefully the result takes care of itself.
"North Melbourne will be in a similar situation so it should be a good game."
A Bulldogs win would also keep them within sight of the top eight, a fact not lost on Higgins.
"Every game is crucial this year; you've seen how tight the competition is," he said.
"For us, wins are like gold and we're building towards them. We definitely won't be taking our foot off the pedal this week."
Against the Pies, lapses before half-time and again in the final term proved costly for the Bulldogs, but Higgins was confident they would make the tweaks necessary to improve further against North.
He didn't let himself off the hook, either.
"There were a few skill errors, which happens in games, and one of them was [by] myself," he said. "We'll look at that, and you can't really worry too much about it.
"Sometimes that happens; that's just football. As long as you keep working hard and hope that next time you're in that situation you can do better."
North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
Sunday 13th May 2012, 1.10pm
Etihad Stadium
Gates open at 11.30am.
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