why is my parrot not talking

Question
i have a parrot,grey with a red tail.it sings and mimics the sounds the dogs make but it doesnt talk.it whistles more than talking.itz abt 9months,what could be the problem.will it ever talk?

Answer
hello. thank you for your question. the way that you describe the bird leads me to believe that you have an African Grey parrot. African greys are known to be among the most intelligent parrots and can make excellent talkers/mimickers.  your grey is still young and there are alot of factors, including age, that impact whether or not a bird can talk. just because a bird is not talking does not necessarily mean there is a "problem". many people purchase parrots because they are known to "talk" however they have many other wonderful qualities that should be equally appreciated.  just because a bird doesn't speak doesn't make it a "defective" bird.  
"talking" birds are actually just mimicking the sounds they hear (though there has been research leading to the conclusion that perhaps some birds do understand what it is that they are actually saying). greys can mimic alot of sounds, not just talking, but things like phone ringing, car alarms, and other noises they may hear during the day. sounds like yours is already copying the dog!
it usually helps to start training parrots early on when they are young, like your bird,  to develop talking ability.  
In general, birds usually begin repeating ("talking") after they have heard a word repeated many times (they are mainly mimicking you though after some time in the right context, they can understand what some words refer to).
Try simple words like "hello" or her name and try and say them in an encouraging voice while looking at her. Always speak positively and encouraging to her when you are doing your talk training.  Usually, your bird will pick out a word that they seem "interested" in (my conure really liked it when i said "Surree", his name). Make that your first "training word" and go from there.
Like I said, your bird will initially be "mimicking you" so you will need to repeat that same training word as much as possible to her (in your encouraging voice! While tedious, is the only way she will learn to repeat it herself. I have seen some bird training CD's that supposedly help teach birds to talk. I can't speak specifically about any one CD as I've never used them but interaction with your bird is better...your bird can observe you making the sound and I think would respond better to you than a stranger's voice on a CD.
Just remember to be patient. My 15 year old parrot only ever learned to say one word and that was after he was already about 4 years old. Birds, like people, move at their own pace and have their own abilities. Some birds never really become expert mimics but they are still wonderful companions none the less.  It may take years for her to start speaking or she may never speak, but obviously she is a terrific parrot and you are a terrific parrot owner nonetheless.  
You can also try simpler things than words...like having her mimic more sounds. My parrot LOVES to impersonate me chewing and making kissing sounds. He also whistles from time to time and even laughs! I didn't even really "teach" him that either, just years of him hearing it had him start copying it! She may already be doing that if you listen closely. remember, talking is not the only thing that makes parrots wonderful pets!
Good luck with your parrot and let me know how it goes. hope this helps. alicia