Terriers were originally, mostly bred to have very sharp, aggressive temperaments, and to be very tough, tenacious working dogs. The job? Often to kill rats.
In general, Border Terriers and Nor'iches have a reputation for having a little softer, laid back temperament than 'the average terrier'.
The ultimate terrier temperament...that's up for debate. Some people say the Airdale or Irish terrier is a good example. Airdales additionally seem to be really super hard working dogs and have even bee used for Schutzhund. But there are several breeds that are right up there for 'ultimate terrier temperament'.
Even today terriers very often will 'spar' in the breed ring. They can be very tough, active dogs.
As far as obedience training, I don't think they are the most natural at it. They can indeed be very challenging and stubborn. You do see very good individuals now and then but terriers just were not originally bred for that sort of work. They were bred to be very independent and very, very tenacious.
If you liked Napoleon more than Admiral Nelson, if you like a good knock down drag out fight every once in a while, if you think it's funny when your dog body slams you during the recall at an obedience trial (OH MY GOD was that funny!)...that's sounding like a good dog for you.
I once got called 'on an emergency basis' to come over and 'intervene' with an 'impossible dog' - turned out to be a young Smooth Fox Terrier. The family had had a SCHNAUZER before - compared to their darling sweet Schnauzer, this pup was absolutely Hell on Wheels. It drove them crazy.
Tenacious?
Oh, I think of my friend's Jack terrier leaping up 4 feet in the air over and over and over, to grab at the hose we were watering the flowers with - for three hours. Boing boing boing boing barkbarkbarkbark.
We started quoting that scene from the movie about Son of Sam saying how he went nuts after listening to his neighbor's dog bark - "I couldn't STAND it any more - that barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark". The dog had to go to the vet - it got a fungal infection from having its mouth constantly wet - all summer - jumping and biting at the hose water.
Tenaciousness?
Oh I think of our friend's Fox terrier who we left down in the woods in a woodchuck burrow - barking at a wood chuck - barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark - we left at 6 to go to dinner, and the next morning, when we went back to the woods, the dog was STILL there - barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark. Yes, the dog DID stay down there in that burrow and bark at that woodchuck - ALL NIGHT.
Sense of Humor?
You'll need one. We once spent HOURS trying to catch our friend's Irish Terrier - the dog would dart just out of reach, and dog thought that it was far funnier the thousandth than the fifth time.
You have to be a certain kind of person...LOL. Many people like the terrier temperament, but in a little softer doses - Nor'ich, Border, those breeds. Even my friend's Cairn was a lot softer dog than some other breeds. That was an adorable dog - very kind and sweet. Not at all snappy-yappy.
Some years ago I called my friend to ask her how her young Westie, Murphy, was doing. The phone rang and I heard her pick up - all she did was shout at the top of her lungs, 'OH MY GOD SHE IS SO BAD!'
Murphy, evidently, grasped the concept of 'Come' as being some sort of game where she dashed away hundreds of times and took her owner on a merry chase all over the neighborhood.
