A great solution is to put your dog on a leash, have your dog lay by you, and then place your foot on the leash to keep him down. Ignore barks or whines, and tell him no if he paws at you or tries to get up. Once you are done eating, tell your dog he can get up and either hand feed him his bite or place it in his bowl. Your dog will learn very quickly that waiting patiently will result in a reward. Don t look directly at your dog while you eat.
Eye contact means entirely different things to dogs and people.
If you refuse to make eye contact, you are basically acting like he s not there. Once you make eye contact, your dog will start to whine and beg. Also, too many owners lose their resolve when looking into those sad eyes. Leaders always go first. If there s a tight space, the other dogs always yield.