How to securely setup and use SSH?

Hey guys, I a bit of a newbie and I haven found any guide out there.

1. Where can I find the code that I need to enter into the terminal to setup the VPS? And does tails also encrypt the connection to the VPS through the terminal?
2. I have heard someone say that its very crucial to check ones fingerprint for security reasons. Which fingerprint was this person refering to and where can I find it, and also compare/check it.
3. Someone also talked about that there are certaint IP adresses that are unsecure to connect through via SSH. Is that true? And if so how do I check them so I don connect to them?

I want to stay completely anonymous and avoid man in the middle attacks. The vps provider I would use is paid via bitcoin. I would highly appreciate any help from some of the more experienced people in this community. Thank you guys!