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You've seen pictures on the Internet and maybe you've even seen them in person at various parades and contests. Pugs wearing yellow and black killer bee costumes, complete with headgear topped by bee antennae. Labrador retrievers and Bernese mountain dogs in tuxedo collars and cuffs. Mixed breed dogs and dogs of all breeds in all kinds of garb, including ballet tutus and wedding gowns with flowing veils.

My favorite dressing-up-dogs story involves a three-legged pit bull in an elaborate pirate outfit who showed up at a fund-raiser for a local shelter.

When the owner strapped a wooden leg onto the pit bull, the other owners abandoned all hope of winning that particular costume contest.

With Halloween just around the corner, this is a very busy time of year for people who dress dogs -- and the occasional cat -- in clothes and costumes.

While this isn't my thing, I've generally thought there's no harm done, for some dogs seem to actually enjoy this practice.

Now I'm hearing that doggy dress-up may even be a good thing.

"People who are dressing their dogs in costumes are not turning their dogs into shelters," said Kathy Santo, a New Jersey dog trainer who sent me an e-mail news release.

"This creates more bonding between dogs and owners. Owners pick out a costume. Dog looks cute. Dogs gets praise, attention and rewards. Dog loves the attention and treats," says Ms. Santo, who writes regularly for the American Kennel Club Family Magazine and House Beautiful, where she is billed as a "Dog Shrink."

So perhaps your dog is one of the many dogs who do not have any clothes or costumes. Maybe your dog has resisted all efforts to dress him or her in T-shirts, boxer shorts, reindeer antlers or other clothing items. Ms. Santo has tips for people like you.

The first is, don't try to get your dog into any articles of clothing that the dog has resisted wearing in the past. Start fresh with a new item. Ms. Santo always starts with a T-shirt.

You don't have to buy expensive pet store tees. You can use people shirts -- toddler size for toy breeds, such as pugs, and adult sizes for big breeds, such as Labs.

The dog should be on a leash, and the owner should be armed with treats. Ms. Santo likes small jars of baby food -- beef, chicken or pureed vegetables. Dogs love baby food and their efforts to lick the food out of the small jar distracts them from the T-shirt, she says.

Stretch out the neck of the tee so it won't be tight. Guide the treat through the neck and hope that the dog's nose and head will follow.

"In the first session if the nose gets even close to the neck, the dog gets the treat and praise and we are done for that session," Ms. Santo said. In the next session you might get the tee all the way over the dog's head. In subsequent sessions, still using a leash and treats, get a front foot through the arm hole. If your goal is a full-body costume, other training sessions would involve getting the tee on the back of the dog, and getting hind feet through the arm holes. Boxer shorts can also be used for back-end practice, and the fly front can be used for the dog's tail.

A lot of dogs don't like to have their toenails clipped or their feet handled. If your dog is one of those, be careful. If your dog tries to nip or bite while you're trying to get their feet into costumes, consult a trainer about the problem, Ms. Santo advises.

Hats and head garb can be a bit tricker, so she advises saving those for last. Food treats, praise and the extra attention that dogs get for wearing costumes will do the trick, in many cases.

Costumes on pets are becoming increasingly popular, but people need to use common sense," says Dr. Lorraine Corriveau, wellness veterinarian at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine. "Costumes can be dangerous if they restrict normal movements or breathing. Don't secure rubber bands that may constrict uncomfortably."

Keep Halloween candy, especially chocolate, away from pets. Watch out for candles in jack-o-lanterns. Your dog's tail or costume could sweep past the flame and get burned.