Do you have any responsible neighborhood teens who could watch your dog? Is it just during the afternoon? I was always the go-to person for when people needed their dogs let out or walked after school, for the people who worked late. Doesn't help if you need them watched all day or in the morning, but it could work.

My only experience with a dog bite is one I received when protecting a neighbor's dog from a vicious wandering dog once. I would have rather gotten bitten than have to explain that their dachshund was mauled by a marauding golden retriever.