lab chokes self with choke chain.. pulls to much when walked

Question
Hi, My Female black lab who is going to be 2 years this december, pulls when I walk her, I use a choke chain she pulls less then when when I tryed to walk her with a flat beat buckle type collar but still chokes her self most of the time. I'd tryed a harrness that she walked into in the beggining but she only pulled me around better. I want to try a halti head collar but and not wanting to waste more money on something that isnt gonig to work. My question is if I go out and buy a halti head collar, put it on and take her out will she stop pulling? I do not want it if she is still going to pull they are quite expensive around here, any advice is aprecated, thanks.

Answer
I am a big fan of the Halti and other brands of head collar.  I had very good luck with a Gentle Leader on a 15 month  old, intact, male Lab I was given that had no training at all.  You might give the choke collar another chance.  Also, check around for the other brands.  I didn't think they were that expensive.  

If you walk with the dog on the left, pull the chain through
one loop forming a "P". Facing it, slip it over its head. The free end
should come over the neck to the leash, and the other end should drop slack
when there is no pull on the leash.  Before 4 months use a conventional flat
collar to protect the tender young neck.


Easier dogs will give up their pulling with a few good snaps of the leash
combined with a stern "Bad dog!".  You can work up to forceful corrections
with the leash doubled up in both hands and your whole body behind it.   But
you don't want to use any more force than you need.  One gentle technique I
like is to just stop when he pulls.  He wants to go.  If you move forward when
the leash is slack, and stop when he pulls, he should quickly figure out the
only way to get to go, is not to pull.  This is about teaching him not to
pull, not getting somewhere.  The man that taught it to me said "If in a half
hour you haven't made it out to the front walk, fine, you have taught him a
lesson.

Still, you may want to switch to a head collar.  The leading brands are Promise,  Haltie, and Gentle Leader.  They have a
strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle.  They work
by pulling the dogs head around.  No other way gives you such great control
with so little force.  The prong collar is now a dangerous relic of value only
for its macho looks.  Do not consider using one without hands on instruction
from somebody with plenty of experience with them.