deleting icon for new launcher on desktop also deletes icon on plank

I am using mint xfce I created a new launcher on the desktop and dropped it onto plank I ticked keep in dock It works perfectly but when i delete or move to trash the desktop icon it also removes it from plank
the reason i use a dock is because i don,t like icons cluttering my desktop. Is there a fix for this problem.
I also looked in desktop in the menu to see if i could untick the show on desktop but the icon is not there
the launcher i created was a link to google photos. i have used cairio dock and latte dock in the past without this problem occurring
hope you can help
thankyou