Do you ever let your dog lick you? 

While some people find the idea completely revolting, others believe it is a harmless way for your pet to show you affection. 

On Lunchtime Live, journalist Andrea Smith said she is firmly in the latter camp. 

“I'm so embarrassed, but yes, I do,” she said. 

“I have seven dogs, right? There's always somebody licking me.

“I know they're dogs, listen, I know, I know.

“But look, it hasn't killed me so far. I’ve got a great constitution, I think.” 

Ms Smith added that she feels that her seven dogs are ‘part of the family’. 

“And like some people think that a dog licking is disgusting, but they're showing affection and you know they're happy,” she added. 

Despite this, she admits she is not “mad about them” licking her face but still feels that, “if they do, they do”. 

A Yorkshire terrier . Picture by: AZ3 / Alamy. 

Also on the programme, Laoise Downes, owner of Outpaws and Wedding Woof, said there is a very good reason why you shouldn’t let a dog lick you. 

“You have to be careful that they're not always, you know, licking you right in your mouth,” she explained. 

“I mean, there are similar germs that humans and dogs carry, which are Capnocytophaga, which apparently balances out. 

“If you have someone with an autoimmune disease or somebody who's allergic to animal saliva, of course, it's not good.”

Main image: A dog licking the face of a woman. Picture by: Alamy.com