We also tried the head collar (Halti brand), and it took a really long time for the dogs to get used to it; well, really they never got totally used to it. They would be so distracted by the feel of it that they would also ignore everything else in order to paw at it and try to get it off. It worked wonderfully to get their attention away from cars, but didn't put the attention on us, and so we just gave up on the Halti. I have been working with a trainer on obedience, etc. for Belle and we've just been using her normal leather collar and treats, etc. She responds well to that; it was more a matter of me learning how to properly communicate with her and telling her exactly what I expected from her in a way she could understand and was consistent every time. If you have time/money for it, I would definitely recommend working with someone that can help you train, since a lot of the time, it's hard to see our own mistakes and we confuse our dogs way too easily.

Good luck with that beautiful pooch!