Hops might work for your situation.

@gjcore Thanks for the idea. I am definitely looking into it!

The one issue with grape vines is japanese beetles love them. So you may experience some lacey leaves.

Hi Denverish,

I usually agree with the things Greg says, but in this case I have a different opinion! I’ve never grown them, but I believe hops can be very invasive after a few years—I suspect you’ll have them coming up all over the place, and most invasive things can be VERY difficult to get rid of once they’re established!

One of my immediate neighbors wants to try brewing beer, so last year they built a LARGE “frame” in their backyard, solid side posts that must be close to 20’ tall, and what looks like a couple 2 x 6s across the top, spaced slightly apart, that are probably 16-18’ long. When I was in their yard after they planted the two hops plants early last summer, they were showing me that there was one at the bottom of each upright, and I had trouble finding one of them—it was just a single stem that was less than a foot high. The only thing they did to “help” the vines was to wrap copper wire around the uprights to give them something to “start their climb” on.

This year the vines are HUGE! They’re not only covering the uprights, but they extend probably a couple feet out on all sides of the uprights, and where they’re starting to spread across the top bar—they’re about halfway across it, they’re hanging down at least 4-5’ below the crossbar. I haven’t been over in their yard to look closely this year because of covid, but from my deck I don’t see any indications that they’re coming up and spreading from the rhizomes yet this year—but within the next year or two I think they’re gonna discover just exactly what it is that they’ve planted!

For something you can be sure is “non-toxic,” and is not invasive, my recommendation would also be some sort of a grape, I’d pick a yummy, hardy seedless table grape! I’ve never had a problem with Japanese beetles, so I guess that depends on your location—or your luck! Several years ago I planted a Reliance, small, seedless, red table grape, but a couple years ago the hybrid/top of the plant froze in a hard spring freeze and it reverted back to the rootstock, meaning it’s now a very ordinary Concord, seeded, grape! But it still covers my fence nicely, and for where I have it, the only “maintenance” I need to do is to cut off the vines that are “going where I don’t want them to grow,” or “redirecting” them in some cases. Grapes WILL need “regular” watering, but most vines I know of will, and I think you’re gonna have trouble finding a xeric vine that will work for what you want.

A lot of vines are horrendously invasive after a few years, so before you plant something, research it very carefully to be sure you’re not setting yourself up for a LOT of work in years to come.

Here’s a link with some info about hops

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/life/2018/02/13/if-you-can-control-hops-nice-vine-even-if-youre-not-brewer/333660002/

Hope you find something you really like,

Skybird

W 08.19.20 @ 2038 MDT

Yes hops do spread by rhizomes but are not too difficult to control. If let loose in mulched garden area they will happily spread along the top couple inches. Surrounding them with a dense grass and or a metal divider will work just fine. I'd have to disagree with gardengal that hops are thorny.

Not thorny - bristly!! And bristly enough that the extending tendrils would grab onto my dog's fur and not let go.

From Wikipedia: "Hops are sometimes described as bine plants rather than vines because, they have stiff downward facing hairs that provide stability and allow them to climb"

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) That’s a bummer. Your poor pup! I will have to cross hops off my list, then, as we have a Sheltie and don’t need anything else getting tangled in it! Even if he left it alone, we are planning on getting a Sheltie puppy at some point. Hmm...

@gjcore I am starting to think that maybe any vine that grows fast enough and big enough to provide shade for our pergola will need something type of containment. Can you tell me more about how dense grass would help contain a vine? How deep would a metal divider need to be, and where could I get one?

The vine was not located somewhere she would normally travel but as she got older, her eyesight started to decline and she would venture too close to it and it would grab her :-) Growing on a pergola, your pup would be fair game!! And any one else who brushed up against it would also feel the roughness of the stems.

@popmama (Colorado, USDA z5) My neighbor has grapes, and this year she has seen a few Japanese bottles, yup. I have also seen a couple of them in my yard and a couple of lacy leaves on the Virginia Creeper that we let ramble along the chain link fence at the back of our yard. We didn’t consider grapes before as I thought they were very poisonous to dogs. Our neighbor in the other side actually removed all of his grapevines from our shared fence when we moved in because he was worried about our dog potential getting into them! I don’t even remember the grapevines when we first moved in, but he told us about it.

@Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado Wow, that article is scary! Hahaa. As I mentioned above, I thought grapes were dangerous for dogs. But the recommendations for it here having me wondering if there is such a thing as fruitless grape that would do well here To provide shade and fall color? Are there male grape plants, do those exist? And if not, would it be possible to plant a variety that fruits elsewhere but will not in Colorado?

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Aww, poor pup. Our Sheltie has started doing some things in the garden as he has gotten older (he is 13) that I never had to worry about before. Like randomly nibbling on the echinacea, which is fine, but he never did it before! Earlier this summer I about died when I saw him nibbling on a hyacinth bean pod, which ia very dangerous! I ripped up that vine and am pulling off the flowers before the pods form on the others.

No hops for me, boo. Besides this pergola deck opens up from our kitchen and is the main entrance to our backyard, so lots of traffic.

@gjcore Its really too bad the hops are bristly. They are beautiful! Thanks for the idea.

There are ornamental grapes.........Vitis coignetiae, aka crimson glory vine, and purple leafed grape, Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea'. The purple leafed grape can produce grape clusters but like other table or wine grapes, the grapes will appear high on the vine. If it is growing on the pergola, the grapes will just hang down through the open roof slats. Unless your dog is a seriously acrobatic jumper, he should be perfectly safe.

You can also remove any forming clusters as well.

I have had zero japanese beetles on my grapevines and basically no disease as well.

Deep freezes in April this year and heavy hail last year really hit my crops though.

Jerry, the Japanese beetles will be here in the north side of Metro Denver. Already widespread through Aurora and south Denver, They've really done a number defoliating my grape vines in Aurora.

gjcore, if that is true, mmmm12 will be very unhappy. Japanese beetles devastated our rose bushes when we lived in North Carolina.

This is the first year I have seen Japanese beetles in my yard here in Arvada. I have seen less than 5 in my yard and only a few lacy leaves on the Virginia Creeper, but it sounds like I should play defense to keep them from ravaging the yard. So grapeviens are out. Plus, we are getting a puppy and my Husband isn‘t fully convinced we would be able to cut off every single grape before it drops. Even the ornamental grapes have fruit that can cause kidney failure some dogs.

So it is looking like I need to cross fall color off of my requirements for a vine to shade the pergola. That leaves several types of honeysuckle, five-leaved akebia, and crossvine. Does anyone have recommendations for fast-growing honeysuckle cultivars that would shade the pergola? What about experiences with five-leaves akebia and crossvine?

Am I missing any other pet-friendly full-sun vines for Colorado Zone 6A?

For anyone also looking for a pet-friendly vine, I just found out that hops causes kidney failure in some dogs.

There are clematis, climbing roses and grapes. I found a 5 year old Denver Post article on other vines for Colorado. The site will block you without a subscription, so I've copied the body of the article:

If you’re looking to find privacy in the yard, but can’t wait until those trees grow taller, add vines to bring your garden to new heights.

These weaving wonders make themselves at home scrambling over hillsides, trellises, and stone walls, covering bare ground or screening out unwanted scenes of the neighbor’s Winnebago.

Sprucing up your landscape’s look is easy with vines. Just ask John Murgel, horticulture coordinator for the Denver Zoo.

Transforming enclosures to evoke the atmosphere of exotic locales is a strategy the zoo uses to enhance the comfort of the animals and enthrall visitors.

“We use temperate climate vines to evoke a tropical feeling, those that are hardy,” he said. “Some go up trees into the canopy, others over walls.”

But there are a few guidelines for home gardeners. “Use them carefully so they don’t get out of control,” Murgel said. “You must consider if the vine suckers or how large it grows,” or it could become a handful. “You’d be hoping for an elegant little vine but end up not being able to find your shed anymore.”

Know what the vine climbs on and how the plant grows so that you can choose the correct support for it.

You need to know that vining plants have several ways of gripping trellises. Those that twine around their frameworks need a little help getting the idea. While they’re young, gently loop the leaders around cables or latticework to train them.

Vines that use tendrils to clasp their supports — you’ve likely seen this happen with edible plants such as cucumbers — don’t need help finding a structure to grip. The trick is to keep them from throttling everything within their grasp. Encourage them to find the trellis by twirling tendrils and shoots about the frame.

Plants that grow their own suction cups and those with adventitious roots — a word for roots that grow along stems — need walls or fences with texture to climb. But be careful: Though such vines look good on houses, they can be damaging.

Here are five great vines to grow in Colorado beyond the usual clematis, climbing roses and grapevines.

1. Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata). Showy, purple flowers get hummingbirds to hang around your garden, happily visiting the blooms covering the vine. The lobed, deep green leaves provide a backdrop that makes the flowers pop.

Size: To 25 feet long

Zone: 5a

How: Plant in a protected site, mulching thickly to protect the roots while the top dies down to the ground during the winter. Passion flower spreads via roots, so if you’d like to contain it, plant in a large container and move it into the garage for the winter.

2. Five-leafed Akebia (Akebia quinata). Delicate leaves made up of five-leaflets make this an unusual vine for jazzing up your landscape. The lightly scented flowers hang in pendulous clumps.

Size: 20 feet long or more

Zone: 5a

How: Pop this climber in full sun to light shade; it won’t fruit here, says Murgel. But it will ramble up a tree, so periodically loosen it to ensure that it doesn’t girdle branches.

3. Honeysuckle (Lonicera species) is a favorite of Murgels’, since they’re showy all summer and attract hummingbirds. Look for the Blanche Sandman variety, a showstopper wreathed in pink-orange blossoms with golden throats.

Size: 20 feet

Zone: 5a

How: Full sun, even moisture and something to climb are all that it takes to grow Blanche Sandman. Once established, keep it tidy by an occasional light pruning after the danger of hard frost has passed.

4. Wisteria (Wisteria). Classic, elegant wisteria (Wisteria species) drapes deep purple flowers on a woody, long-lived vine. Perfumed and showy, wisteria needs permanent support, such as a dramatic arbor or doorway arch.

Size: 30 feet

Zone: 5

How to grow: Because the flower buds swell early, put wisteria in a protected location to keep late frosts from nipping blossoms. Once established, prune them twice per year: a light pruning in midsummer to remove wispy growth and a hard pruning back to two buds per branch in winter. Don’t let them dry out.

5. Silver Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii). If you have a large area that needs screening quickly, try this rampant, sweet- smelling vine. The sprays of white blossoms that coat the plant from summer to fall reach to 6 inches long.

Size: 20 to 30 feet

Zone: 5

How: Give this plant a sturdy support in a carefully chosen area, as it can easily swallow small arbors or trellises.

Thanks for posting this treebarb.

I have been having trouble with my Clematis growing as bushes and not climble the trellis. Next year, I will cut back most of the shoots and train just a few up the trellis. If that fails, I may go to a honeysuckle

The Blanche Sandman in the article is intertesting in that it is listed as growing narrower than many. The plant naming game is played with this one - it is called Trumpet H at Tagawa and Goldflame H at echters.

Then someone is playing the naming game wrong!! 'Blanche Sandman' is a cultivar of Lonicera sempervirens, commonly known as trumpet honeysuckle. 'Goldfame' is an entirely different vine and is popular hybrid cultivar with bicolored flowers. Goldflame is fragrant - Blanche is not.