James Middleton is known for his love of dogs, and his son, Inigo, appears to be following in his pet-friendly footsteps.

Kate Middleton‘s younger brother shared a sweet insight into life with his 18-month-old son in a new interview with Hello! magazine‘s The Daily Lowdown podcast, released on April 7. 

“His first word was ‘woof,’ ” James, 37, said about Inigio, whom he shares with his wife, Alizée.

“But he loves dogs, particularly Isla – he puts his arm around her neck and squeezes. He loves chatting to the animals. He shouts at the chickens and knows what noise a cow makes. He shares many of my loves, which are tractors, sheep and dogs,” he added.

In another cute anecdote, James said that Inigo “spent the first year of his life thinking he was a dog. He’d crawl around on all fours, which was entertaining to watch.”

Inigo Middleton in a photo shared by James Middleton shared on Feb. 14, 2025.

James Middleton/Instagram

James and Alizée own six dogs named Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel, Nala and Isla, and Princess Kate’s entrepreneur brother runs the natural pet food company James & Ella. The venture was named after James’ late dog Ella, who was the first dog he owned in adulthood and has credited his strength while struggling with depression. 

The Princess of Wales’ brother honored Ella in the memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, which was published in September 2024 following the dog’s death that January. 

Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE about the book then, James said the writing process “took me on a journey.”

“I hope that my son is able to learn about his own mental health way before I did so that he doesn’t have to go through some of the very painful moments that I went through,” he said.

James Middleton poses for a photograph with his dogs Inka, Luna, Ella and Mabel in Green Park, London on Feb. 18, 2020.
Kirsty O’Connor/PA Images via Getty

James also told Hello! about his relatable routine with his family. James and Alizée are based in Berkshire, which is where he, Kate and their sister Pippa Middleton grew up and where their parents Carole and Michael Middleton still live.

“Getting up in the morning trying to feed six dogs and get Inigo fed and off to nursery is a challenge,” James said.

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The James & Ella founder recently shared a new photo of his wife and son to celebrate Mothering Sunday on March 30, which is the British equivalent of Mother’s Day in the U.S.

“Happy Mothers to all the amazing Mothers but an extra bit of love for this one,” he captioned a snap of Alizée holding their baby, showing that Inigo has inherited her blonde hair — which is also a Middleton family trait! Princess Kate, Pippa and James all had light hair when they were children, and Inigo seems to have inherited the same.