The dogs are back and can howl to their hearts' delights after a quick minute of prohibition banned pooches from barking at a downtown Toronto park.

Yesterday, (Tuesday, March 7, 2023,) blogTO broke the news that the city had recently installed signs at St. Andrew's Dog Park near Adelaide and Spadina, telling owners to not let their dogs bark.

"Due to the proximity of area residents, do not allow your dogs to bark and disturb the neighbourhood," read the sign, as posted to the entrance of the fenced-off doggy park.

Because of the proximity to the residential area, the city sign said excessive barking "will not be tolerated." In an emailed response to blogTO, the city said multiple complaints had been filed about the noise.

Well, the signs have now been removed, and the dogs are barking for joy — just not excessively.

"Although the sign was placed at this location with the intention of helping users of the off-leash area and neighbouring residents coexist harmoniously, we recognize that the information did not meet the mark," said a representative for the city. 

"The city will be reviewing its sign approval process to ensure clear communication in future signs."

Media officers said the signs were removed because they did not meet city standards, but had yet to state what exactly didn't meet the standards

The response also didn't address any of the negative feedback the signs had generated, specifically on social media.

"The city works to balance the needs of a range of park users and local communities. With more than 70 dog off-leash areas in Toronto parks, the vast majority of users of these well-loved amenities are considerate of the local community and interact with their canine companions while visiting, which helps to reduce excessive barking. While barking is expected at off-leash areas, excessive barking can be disruptive to neighbours," reads the emailed response.

This is an interesting take, given that many pup parents say there aren't enough spaces for their pooch to run freely, citing the current state of nearby parks.

Some say the barking might be too loud at St. Andrew's because there really aren't other options in the area, making the park busier than others. 

Either way you spin it, it's barking time!