How Losing His K9 Partner Transformed Rick Hogg's Life and Mission

When Rick Hogg looks back on nearly three decades in Special Operations, one truth stands out above the rest: The dogs weren't just teammates…they were the reason he came home. In this conversation, Rick walks through the moments that shaped his life on and off the battlefield: the first deployment where a dog saved his team, the long nights training in the heat, the surgeries and setbacks that came with age and miles, and the day he held his K9 partner Duco for the last time.  Rick also opens up about transition. The parts nobody prepares you for…  The missing tribe. The sudden quiet. The uphill climb of starting a business with no blueprint, losing his entire social media platform overnight, and learning the hard way what it means to build something with your own name on it. From combat lessons to entrepreneurship to the rhythm of a life rebuilt around family, faith, and service, this episode follows the path of a man who has had to start over (more than once) and keeps finding a mission worth fighting for.   0:00 Intro 0:38 Rick Hogg: SOF veteran and K9 handler 6:49 Becoming a K9 handler and why dogs change the battlefield 10:09 Malinois vs Dutch Shepherds and what makes a top working dog 17:21 Starting the In Honor of Duco Project 21:46 What military working dogs really do in combat 25:13 Retiring with Duco 29:20 The bond between handlers and their dogs 31:43 Warhawk Tactical 35:35 Losing social media pages & why owning your platform matters 38:33 Pivoting during COVID and launching the podcast 45:21 Entrepreneurship lessons 49:09 Writing The Firearms Training Notebook 52:02 Transition challenges 54:26 Time, family, and the Five Fs 59:36 Leaving the military tribe and finding a new one 1:03:58 How dogs shape routine, mindset, and resilience 1:10:18 Countdown to Impact   Resources Mentioned: Warhawk Tactical https://warhogg.com   In Honor of Duco Project - via Scott's Wish (SOF K9 medical support) https://www.scottswish.org/in-honor-of-duco    On The Range Podcast https://www.ontherangepodcast.com/   The Firearms Training Notebook by Rick Hogg & Mark Kelly https://amzn.to/3XFuKK6  Disclosure: Some of the links in these show notes are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).