My beagle had some slick moves to steal food off of your plate. For as short and overweight as she was, she knew *exactly* what she had to do to get your food. It wasn't uncommon for her to trip you so you drop stuff. Or if there was a lace table cloth, she would pull on it until all the food fell on the floor. She could also get a running jump and swipe food off the edge of a table - she took out a chicken sandwich and fries one time that I had just come home from the restaurant with. She would also lurk around and be all stealthy and if you got up to go to the bathroom or something, that's when she would make her move on your food.