Also known as floating kneecap. This is when the patella (knee cap) will dislocate and slide out of its normal position, moving the patella side to side instead of up and down – this happens as the groove in which the patella sits is too shallow. Luxating patella is caused by trauma to the knee, activities of daily living e.g. a dog who lives on laminate flooring, breeding and genetics of the dog, malformation during the growth phase in a puppy.