This is Shu‘bah’s wording, and Ya‘la ibn ‘Ubayd’s wording is similar.

Yahya’s wording is: “When ‘A’ishah arrived at the watering-place of Banu ‘Amir at night, the dogs barked. She said, ‘Which watering-place is this?’ They replied, ‘The watering-place of al-Haw’ab.’ She said, ‘I can only think that I must return.’ Some of those accompanying her said, ‘Rather, continue on, so that the Muslims may see you and Allah may bring reconciliation between them.’ She said, ‘One day the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her: “What will become of one of you when the dogs bark ...”’”

I say: Its chain of transmission is very authentic. Its narrators are trustworthy and highly reliable, and are among the narrators of the Six Books: the two Sahihs and the four Sunan collections. The seven trustworthy transmitters narrated it from Isma‘il ibn Abi Khalid, who was trustworthy and highly reliable, as stated in al-Taqrib. Qays ibn Abi Hazim was likewise, although some made remarks about him whose apparent import suggests that he had been impugned. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizan:

“Trustworthy and an authority, he nearly attained the rank of a Companion. Ibn Ma‘in and the people declared him trustworthy. ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah reported from Yahya ibn Sa‘id that he said: ‘His reports are objectionable.’ He then named for him certain hadiths which he found objectionable, but he accomplished nothing, for they are established. His solitary transmission is not objectionable in view of the vast extent of what he narrated. Among these is the hadith of the dogs of al-Haw’ab. Ya‘qub al-Sadusi said: ‘Our colleagues spoke about him. Some criticized him and said, “He has objectionable reports,” whereas those who praised him counted them as rare reports. It was also said that he used to speak disparagingly of ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.’”

Ya‘qub went on to say: “What is well known is that he regarded ‘Uthman as superior.” Some considered narration through him among the soundest chains of transmission. Isma‘il ibn Abi Khalid said: “He was highly reliable.” He said: “He grew old until he exceeded one hundred years of age and became senile.”

I say: They were unanimous in accepting his reports, and whoever criticized him has only harmed himself. We ask Allah for well-being and for deliverance from caprice. Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih reported from Ibn Ma‘in: “Qays was more trustworthy than al-Zuhri.”

I say: In al-Tahdhib, al-Hafiz interpreted Yahya ibn Sa‘id—namely, al-Qattan’s—statement, “His reports are objectionable,” as meaning reports in which he was the sole narrator outright.