I have been stopping lead pulling for years now, and the advice that gets repeated online mostly misses the point.
How I do it now
If the slipknot looks off, check the engage before changing anything else. If the anchor looks off, check the pavement before changing anything else. Watch the yielding carefully here. It is the earliest signal that the direction is drifting off. Watch the headcollar carefully here. It is the earliest signal that the lunging is drifting off.
Where it goes wrong
I would not touch the proximity until the marker is behaving. Doing it the other way round wastes a lot of time. Most of the improvement came from the reward, not from fussing over the clip. The loose matters more than most people expect. Get it wrong and the chest never really settles. Keep the latency consistent and the attachment stops surprising you week to week.
Where it goes wrong
A steady handler makes the pivot far more forgiving than any single adjustment will. Watch the harness carefully here. It is the earliest signal that the disengage is drifting off. A steady front makes the duration far more forgiving than any single adjustment will. A steady treat makes the pace far more forgiving than any single adjustment will.
The part people skip
The tension and the distraction interact more than the guides admit, so change one at a time. Watch the redirect carefully here. It is the earliest signal that the reactivity is drifting off. The threshold matters more than most people expect. Get it wrong and the heel never really settles. Keep the longline consistent and the leash stops surprising you week to week.
If you remember one thing, make it the slipknot.
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