Same scenario we have,

My dogs also like Squirrel TV. I like that name.

We've made our own suet in the past.  I may do that again this winter.  We use crunchy peanut butter.  Do you use that or smooth?  What species of woodpecker may I ask?

As a suburbanite on the deep south, I can't imagine having bears actually stroll into the yard.

My dogs scare the squirrels. They might tease, but if a dog goes after them, they are smart enough to take off.

I make mine out of smooth peanut butter, lard, old fashion rolled oats, sugar, sunflower seeds, raisins, and dried low sugar cranberries. Sometimes I'll use other seeds depending on whats available at the feed store at the time. So far I've see Hairy woodpeckers, Pileated woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, Red-bellied woodpeckers, and Ivory-billed woodpeckers.

I'm in the WNC mountains. The bear usually comes around for a few weeks in the spring/early summer and again in late fall.

Ours aren’t sure because sometimes they are indoors and sometimes outside.  The funniest time was when my dog was sitting below a tree watching where one squirrel had run when another ran right toward her, jumped on her head and bounced off up the tree.  All my dog’s waiting was justified.  She would not come inside for at least an hour. She was sure that squirrel would come back. It didn’t.