A woman was killed at a dog training centre in western Switzerland this week after her Malinois attacked her, prosecutors confirmed Friday, saying the autopsy showed she had bled to death.

The 45-year-old woman was found dead inside a dog training pen in Auboranges in the canton of Fribourg on Tuesday, with her visibly aggressive Malinois standing over her body.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, police said the dog had first blocked officers and others from approaching the woman, and had subsequently attacked and mauled a female police officer before being shot to death by her partner.

The authorities were initially hesitant to speculate on the cause of death, but on Friday they announced that the autopsy had shown she had suffered multiple serious wounds to her arms.

"The autopsy's initial findings show that she bled to death due to multiple serious wounds on her upper limbs. These wounds were caused by the dog," the Fribourg prosecutor's office said in Friday's statement.

Investigations are ongoing into the circumstances around the attack.