My bag is also my 'anchor'. I put my bag down on top of her leash whenever I'm throwing. My pup loves to swim too, but since she's on a leash she only goes in when I let her. It's really easy to put on and remove, so I take it off when she wants to get in. My dog acts a LOT more calm with the bags on. She doesn't quite understand that they are added width, and she catches them on trees and other things, but she's a quick learner. She is also not much of a fan of sitting when she has the bags on, but I think that is because she doesn't have a lot of experience with them and they were slightly sliding down her back when she sat.