Sits up and asks for table scraps, say

BEGS

Think of what a hungry dog might do with its paws and eyes when you're eating—it’s a four-letter word for pleading.

This clue plays on the double meaning of "sits up and asks." A dog literally sits up and begs for food, especially table scraps, which directly hints at the answer "BEGS." The word "say" signals that this is just one example—begging isn’t limited to dogs, but it’s the most common image that fits. The phrasing makes it sound like a behavior rather than just the word itself, which is a classic crossword trick.