Huey has two of the vests from outward hound that we got at Petsmart. Both of them fit wonderfully; the black band with the velcro wraps completely around his midsection and the floater part is only above the water across his back so he can not tip over. The handle runs lengthwise down his back and is very sturdy for picking him up out of the water. Are you sure that you have the correct size on your dog? it doesn't sound like it is fitting properly, like it is too big. The center wrap doesn't impede Huey at all, but he is very long for his size. This is a really old pic, but it shows the proper fit.
